


only friend

by saintsansa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Good Slytherins, Romance, gryffindor falls in love with a slytherin, she’s a sweetheart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:02:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26834890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintsansa/pseuds/saintsansa
Summary: ❝ 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐁𝐄 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆. ❞[george weasley x oc][PoA - DH][k.h.]
Relationships: George Weasley/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. a boy worth the tears

TW: VERY BRIEF MENTION OF EATING DISORDER

SHE STARED DOWN AT THE FOOD. For some odd reason, it looked vile to her. Her eyebrows knit together into a deep furrow, creating rude lines across her forehead. With a soft sigh, she pushed the mushy food with her fork. Her stomach growled the longer she stared at it, but it almost made her vomit just imagining scarfing that nearly inedible food down. Letting her eyes shut, she set her fork down and rubbed her face.

"Are you not going to eat that?" Her dear friend, who was younger than her but hated to bring it up, Draco Malfoy asked as he leaned closer to her. His eyes darted between the food and the girl. "Are you anorexic or something now?"

"That's very insensitive to ask, Draco." She mumbled into the palms of her hands. Pulling her hands away, she looked towards her blonde friend. "Even if I did have an eating disorder, you shouldn't say it like that." She turned her gaze back down at the food. With a soft sigh, she leaned her elbows against the wooden table. Her eyes bore into the full plate as Draco continued talking to her - but his words fell on deaf ears. Her brain refuses to listen to him while it races with thoughts. Tears begin to well up in her eyes. Why are you crying, she asks herself.

A set of giggles at the end of the table grabbed her attention. Looking down, she watched as Jodie Harper pressed gentle kisses to stupid Jinnifer Lovell's neck. That was why she was crying - because of a stupid boy. Draco followed the girl's gaze to see the couple merely a handful of people away from them. "You're still pining over that idiot?" He chuckled and leaned back to take a bite of his food. "You could do much better."

"What, like you?" She snapped. The moment the words left her mouth, her dark eyes widened. She had never been that rude to her friends - to anyone, really. With a groan of embarrassment, she hid her face into the palms of her hands. Draco chuckled as he rolled his eyes. There had been far worse things said to him - mostly by his father. "I'm sorry, Draco. This stomach bug is making a monster of me."

"You've always been a monster." Draco jokes, jabbing her with his elbow. His playful smile quickly dropped when he noticed her shoulders shaking. "Min..." His voice was soft and gentle as his hand reached up to squeeze her shoulder. "You're not actually crying over stupid Jodie Harper, are you?"

The girl quickly lied her head on the table in between the crooks of her arms. Soft sobs could scarcely be heard from her. By now, eyes began to turn to her. A faint blush of embarrassment washed over Draco's cheeks. His eyes were wide and he didn't quite know what to do. She never really cried in front of people, but today she was crying in front of everyone. Before the boy could say anything else to her, she pushed herself away from the table and exited the large dining room. All eyes watched as she quickly jogged out, slamming the door behind her.

Her plain black flats quietly clicked against the marble floors. Tears streamed down her soft and chubby cheeks. They weren't the rare and small tears that would occasionally slip down the face, these were hot and fat tears that fell down every few seconds. No matter how many times she wiped her face, the tears would quickly replenish and dampen her face. A sob broke past her lips as she rounded the corner of the hallway.

The moment she turned the corner, her body collided with another. Both her and the stranger yelled out in surprise. Wiping away the trails of tears, her wide eyes looked up at the tall man in front of her. She knew who he was, but the two had never spoken before. "What are you doing here, Weasley?" She asked, her voice cracking. 

"I could ask you the same thing, Hucks. Last I checked, you're heading toward the Gryffindor quarters." A smile began to grow on his lips before he really began to look at her. The puffiness under her eyes, her constant sniffling, the faint wet tracks down her cheeks. All of these things gave her away. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Her black eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at the ginger boy. Part of her prayed he wasn't talking about what she thought he was talking about. Her stomach cramped suddenly, eliciting a wince from the young girl. "Look, I need to go."

Before she could leave, his hand gently caught her arm. She turned to look back up at him. It was then she realized how tall he was. She barely reached his shoulders. He had to bend his head down to even meet her eyes. "Last time I checked, Minji Hucks doesn't cry."

"Well, you clearly don't know Minji Hucks as well as you thought." She managed to chuckle before sniffling. Her nose was absolutely clogged by now. It had become increasingly difficult to breathe through her nose, forcing her to breathe through her mouth. Glancing down, she noticed his hand was still holding her elbow.

Following her gaze, he cleared his throat and quickly dropped his arm to his side. He leaned his back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you going to tell me what made the very stone-cold Minji Hucks cry?"

"I don't see why I should." Her own arms crossed over her chest as she looked down at her feet. "It's none of your business, anyway."

"Well, I think that whoever makes a girl like Minji Hucks cry-"

"Stop saying my name like that!" She exclaimed as her hand reached out to gently punch his arm. "It makes me feel like my mother." Her slim arms quickly crossed over her chest once again as she began to feel uncomfortable. She had never spoken to anyone in Gryffindor this long. Normally, the very cheery house would avoid her own like they were plague rats. It was one of the things she hated about being in Slytherin. While she may have found a home in her house, she did not miss the certain looks she was given in the school. There were days where she mentally cursed her family for forcing certain admirations onto her. Both of her parents had been Slytherin and they both pushed onto her the importance of innovation and sharpness. But her aunt - her mother's sister - had always told her to be kind. She was more than thankful for her aunt, even if her father hated the muggle woman. 

A hand waved in front of her eyes, pulling her out of her own thoughts. The ginger boy smiled down at her as his hand quickly stuffed itself into his pants pocket. "Now that we've established a repertoire, I think you should tell me what's bothering you. I'm not leaving until you tell me." 

"Well," Minji felt a small smile creep up on her lips, "then I suppose I'll just leave." With that, she turned to leave. In her mind, she slightly hoped he would stop her. It had been so long since she had spoken to anyone outside of Slytherin that it was nice and refreshing. It was nice to feel like you weren't being judged by the stereotypes of your house and that you were being seen for... you. A pair of footsteps fell into line with her own, much to her amusement. "It seems you're quite difficult to shake, Weasley." When she turned to face the boy, her smile dropped when she met the eyes of her best friend, Draco Malfoy.

"Weasley? Were you talking to a Weasley?" He stared at her with wide eyes. His feet stopped, forcing her to stop her own walk. "Min, you shouldn't be speaking with a Gryffindor, let alone a Weasley." The name was filled with pure venom from his lips. He watched as the girl glanced back to see an empty hallway. Both of their frowns deepened. "I'm serious. Weasley's are the last ones you should be around." With that, the two began walking towards the large set of staircases.

George quickly made his way over to the Gryffindor table. The moment he took a seat, both Fred and Ron began filling his ears. "You missed it! Minji Hucks stormed out of here crying. I didn't think that was possible." The two brothers laughed together as Fred continued to speak. "Slytherin won't be too happy about that."

George simply nodded as he began to eat the food on his plate. The other Weasley siblings took notice of this newfound silence from the young man. They all shared confused glances. Ron slowly leaned in to speak. "I've heard it was because of Jodie Harper."

The young man looked up at his younger brother. "What'd he do?"

Both Fred and Ron shared small, mischievous smiles. "I heard they were having a little fling." Fred spoke as he took a bite of his food. "But now he's with Jinnifer Lovell." The boy shrugged his shoulders as he forced back a laugh. "I'm no arithmetician but two plus two does equal four."

George rolled his eyes with a small smile. "Well, Fred," he sets his fork down before glancing at the Slytherin table where Jodie and Jinnifer sat, "looks like I might have an idea." Both of the twins shared troublesome smiles. There was no wrath worse than the pranks of the Weasley twins and Jodie Harper was about to be the victim.


	2. crystal ball doesn’t lie

HER QUILL TAPPED ALONG THE DESK. She stared at the empty notebook in front of her as Sybill Trelawney continued to rant about palm reading. The woman with wild blonde hair had quickly become one of her favorite professors and she had become one of Trelawney's favorite students. The girl would normally stay after class to ask questions or sometimes just chat about life. It was clear most weren't fond of their divination class, but Minji was always there to cheer the woman up with her questions and her clear interest.

A finger tapped on her desk. Minji looked up to see Trelawney smiling down at her. "You will never believe what I got my hands on." The professor waved the young woman to follow her. With a soft chuckle, Minji set her quill down and followed the woman up to the front of the class. The professor quickly pulled back a drape to reveal a new and shiny crystal ball. "Ta-da! I found it in some shop on Diagon Alley. I'd tell you the name, but a magician never reveals her secrets." Trelawney giggled excitedly as she looked to gauge Minji's reaction.

Her dark eyes were wide as she looked over the crystal ball. "It's absolutely gorgeous." Her fingers gently ran along the golden holder for the ball. It's trim was intricate like flowers and their stems. "Professor, I can't imagine you letting us use this in class."

"No, no, of course not." Trelawney laughed and waved her hands. "But I would like you to have it." She couldn't stop the large smile that grew on her lips when Minji's jaw dropped. The girl quickly asked if the woman was serious. "Utterly serious! You are one of the finest students I have ever had. I think you have a real future - no pun intended - in divination. Please, it'd be a tragedy if you didn't take this."

Minji smiled widely as she wrapped the crystal ball in the cloth. "This is absolutely amazing, Professor. I'm not sure I'm worthy of this, to be perfectly honest."

"Minji, darling. If divination is what you decide to pursue, then I think you will one of the most excellent Seers Hogwarts has ever seen." The two quickly embraced. For the most part, Minji got along with all of her professors, but Trelawney was the only one that saw her for who she was. Snape simply saw her as one of the smartest in Slytherin, but he loathed her kindness to others. Sinistra didn't really hold an opinion on Minji - she simply saw her as another student that seemed to try a little too hard to get on her good side. 

The young woman gathered the large crystal ball in her arms and made her way out of the class, thanking Trelawney one last time. She thanked Merlin that she had no other classes for the day, which meant she could easily take her new gift back to her room. Her black flats clicked against the marble floors as she made her way through the empty halls. Most of the students were still in classes, save for those ones who were skipping or were done for the day. 

Glancing down at her new crystal ball, she smiled brightly. The moment was quickly interrupted when her body collided with someone else's. Her heart jumped with fear when she felt the ball fall out of her arms. "No!" She shouted before another pair of arms caught it in time. "Oh, Merlin. Thank you so much." Her breathing was heavy as she looked up at her savior. Her smile grew wider as she gazed up at Weasley boy in front of her. "Well, you're a sight for sore eyes."

The boy chuckled as he looked over the crystal ball. "You steal this from Trelawney?" He asked as he set the ball back in her arms. "I didn't know you had it in you, Hucks."

"No, I did not steal it." She laughed as she began to walk past him, hoping that he would follow. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him quickly fall in line with her own steps. "Believe it or not, but I'm quite popular among the professors here. They all love me, really." Her shoulders shrugged in a way to brag humbly. 

The boy laughed as he nodded. He shared a Care for Magical Creatures class with her. Kettleburn, and even Hagrid, had always been very clear about his favoritism towards Minji. Some days, it made him wonder how the Sorting Hat had ever chosen a house for the girl. She was kind like a Hufflepuff, smart like a Ravenclaw, and confident like a Gryffindor. But her determination - he knew, begrudgingly, she was a perfect fit for Slytherin. "Y'know, you never told me what had you so upset the other night."

Minji's smile quickly dropped at the memory. Flashes of Jodie and Jinnifer giggling together raced through her mind. "I'm sure you've heard. Merlin knows how fast rumors spread through this place." Her arms hugged the crystal ball closer to her chest as they made their way through the halls. 

"I've heard some things," he shrugged his shoulders, "but I'd like to hear it from the horse's mouth."

"Horse?" A laugh of disbelief escaped her lips as she reached out to punch his arm. "If anyone here is a horse, it's you with your bloody big nose."

George scoffed in mock offense as he placed a hand over his heart. "That's not very nice, Miss Hucks."

"Good thing I'm a Slytherin, then." She chuckled, but it was very short-lived. She loathed all of the stereotypes placed on her. From her race to her house, she had been faced with stereotypes her entire life. Some would think it would be funny to joke that she belonged in Ravenclaw, or they would ask her to do their arithmetic homework. "According to you all, we're quite mean."

"You are." George spoke with a playful smile. He looked down at the girl with his large smile, hoping she realized he was merely teasing. Though most of the Slytherin members were actually quite mean, he found her one of the most enjoyable people in Hogwarts. How he had gone so long without speaking to her was beyond him. "So, does the other night have anything to do with one Jodie Harper?" The name left a sour taste in his mouth. Jodie seemed to be one of those boys who thought he could do whatever he pleased to whoever he pleased simply because his family was wealthy. He honestly couldn't even begin to guess what Minji had seen in the young man.

"It does." Minji simply answered as she stared down at her new crystal ball. 

"Oh, good." George responded with a nod. The response elicited a pair of furrowed eyebrows. "Well, it's much easier to show you."

With a roll of her eyes, she motioned towards the crystal ball in her arms. "I'm sorry, Weasley, but I have prior engagements."

"Well, it's not happening right now." He chuckled and nudged her with his elbow. Not a moment passed before the infamous Draco Malfoy turned the corner. His blond eyebrows furrowed at the sight of his best friend and a Weasley walking together. "Just after curfew, in the library, tonight." George quickly and quietly spoke before leaving her side. "Malfoy." He greeted with a cheeky smile.

Draco simply rolled his eyes as he passed the tall twin to join his friend's side. "What in the hell was that about?" He practically hissed as he joined her side. His eyes glanced between the girl and the boy that had passed him. His gaze quickly turned to the large object in her arms. "What is that?"

"A crystal ball. I need to go back to my room and set it up."

"Did you steal that from Trelawney?" A mischievous smile grew on his lips. It quickly dropped when the girl informed him that Trelawney had indeed given it to her. "Well, that's boring. It must be nice to be the teacher's pet in all of your classes."

Rolling her eyes, Minji began making her way up the stairs towards the Slytherin quarters. As much as she loved her dear friend, she had to admit she had begun to miss the company of the Weasley boy. They approached the large painting of a serpent. "Pure-blood." She mumbled with a frown. The door was quick to open for the two Slytherin students. "Draco, why do you hate the Weasleys so much? They haven't done anything to you."

With a scoff, Draco plopped down onto the couch in the common room. "They're nothing but poor, Muggle-loving lowlifes." He rolled his eyes as he grabbed a novel from the table.

"Just because we're pure-blood doesn't mean we're any better than Muggles or those who love them." Minji made her way towards the room she shared with four other Slytherin girls.

"I can't believe you're actually defending them." Draco shouted loud enough for her to hear. Minji was glad that all of the other students seemed to still be in class or with their friends. "What, are you in love with them or something? Stupid gingers, if you ask me. Nothing worse than a ginger."

Minji rolled her eyes as she set the crystal ball on the nightstand next to her bed. Her fingers gently ran along the cool, smooth surface. Glancing at the door, she took a deep breath before letting her eyes fall shut. Her hands gripped the crystal ball tightly. When her hands began to grow cold, she opened her eyes. All she could see was herself, laughing as hard as she had ever seen. Tears had began to fill her eyes from her laughter. Looking to her left, she saw both of the Weasley twins smiling down at her, one of them with a face full of pie. "I told you Slytherins could smile." The one without pie in his face spoke.

Pulling back, the image in the ball faded away into nothingness. Minji stared at it for, what felt like, forever before Draco entered the room. "Are you telling futures already? You and that blasted divination class. I don't get why you like it so much."

A small smile grew on her lips as the vision kept racing through her mind. The more she thought on it, the larger her smile grew. A giggle slipped past her lips. "What's so funny?" Draco asked with furrowed eyebrows as he took a seat on the bed next to her. "Did you have a vision about me?"

The girl shook her head. "No, no, it..." She trailed off with a smile, "it was nothing."

Rolling his eyes, Draco pushed himself off of the bed, holding a hand out to the girl. "Let's go get lunch, please."

Minji looked up with a large smile. "That sounds delightful."


	3. growing a tail

WHEN THE CLOCK STRUCK TEN O'CLOCK, MINJI PUSHED HERSELF OUT OF HER BED. Most of her roommates were fast asleep by now, save for the few that were reading or studying. None of them paid any mind to her as she began quietly making her way out of the bedroom. Most assumed she just needed to use the bathroom. Her bare feet were silent against the cold cobblestone floors. She silently pushed the door to the common room open and stepped out into the large stairwell. It was almost pitch black.

At the bottom of the stairs stood the tall ginger boy that she had seen earlier in the day. His gaze looked around the area suspiciously before turning up the stairs. A large smile grew on his lips when their eyes met. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He whispered loud enough for her to hear. He watched as she slowly made her way down the stairs towards him. His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed her bare feet. "You look quite tired, dearest."

"Well, I do have classes in the morning." Their voices were quiet as they made their way down another set of stairs.

"Ah, yes. I do seem to recall that those happen." The girl next to him giggled, forcing his own smile to grow wider. Many were the times he had heard her laugh from the Slytherin table, but it was rarely a genuine, hearty laugh; it was usually a polite chuckle that was very short-lived. Part of him would sit there and wonder what would make her tick - what would make her cry from laughter. Since their first year, he had noticed her. It was a question whether she had noticed him or not. Unbeknownst to him, she had. "So, what brings you out here, Miss Hucks?"

Rolling her eyes, the young woman couldn't force away the smile that seemed to make its permanent home on her lips. "Some stupid boy who I think might be stalking me." The last few words came out as whispers.

George widened his eyes in mock surprise. "You don't say. What else do you know about him?" When the girl sent him an accusing look, he held his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm just asking! Maybe I know the lad or something. I can tell him to back off for you."

With a laugh, she rolls her eyes once again. A chill runs up her spine, despite her fleece sweater that hung loosely on her torso. Her feet were nearly frozen as they made their way down the empty and dark corridor. "Well, he's very tall, hair about..." she looked up at him before motioning towards her shoulders, "right here. He's got a nose the size of Big Ben," the boy next to her almost gasped, "and he's very..." She trailed off, losing the words that had once filled her mind.

"Handsome?" 

"I was thinking stupid."

George laughed before pointing at her. "It almost sounds like you're describing my brother." His finger reached up to tap his chin in thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but the girl next to him beat him to it.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Possibly. I can hardly tell you two apart." A playful smile grew on her lips as she glanced back up at the Weasley boy. Her smile dropped when she noticed the minuscule flash of hurt that appeared in his eyes. "I'm joking." Her elbow nudged him gently. "I know you're Fred." When the boy looks to her, he feels a wash of relief come over him when she begins giggling quietly. 

Silence falls among the two as they make their way further down the hall. Minji begins to recognize the area - it looks like they might be heading towards the library. Her dark eyebrows furrow as she glances around. A sudden yawn fills her body as she stretches her limbs. Outside the school, soft snow falls to the ground, covering it in a blanket of white. It almost looks warm, but the numbness of her feet say different. 

To her left, he gazed down at her. His hands were stuffed in the pockets of his hand-me-down orange pajama pants. Even with a pair of house slippers on, he found himself shuddering from a chill every few minutes. The cold seemed to have almost no impact on the girl next to him. To her left, her hands swung as she walked. His own hand twitched with the idea of holding hers. His stomach flipped when she turned to look up at him with a tiny smile. If he could tell first year George Weasley that he would be out with Minji Hucks past curfew, the young boy pre-teen might have a heart attack.

"You stare any longer, you'll have an imprint of me on your eyelids." Minji giggled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And I think that's the last thing anyone would want." Her hands reached out to motion towards her messy hair and pajama attire. Her large black Hogwarts sweater was baggy on top of her dark green and black pajama pants. 

Rolling his eyes, his elbow nudged her. He opened his mouth to speak, but the two froze when the sound of clacking shoes could be heard around the corner further down the hall. "Shit," George hissed as he grabbed her arm, "I forgot Snape was on patrol tonight."

"Snape?!" Minji hissed quietly as the boy pulled her through the door closest to their left. The small girls' bathroom was pitch black and deathly silent. The only noise in the room was of the two teenagers attempting to catch their breath. Rubbing her face, she attempted to silence her breathing and calm her heartbeat. Part of her feared the professor outside in the halls would hear her heart racing and break the door down to discover her huddled with George Weasley, of all people. Maybe if it was Draco or another Slytherin, Snape might just scold them, but with a Gryffindor, she might end up being expelled. Snape held himself and the Slytherin house higher than anything in the universe. She would be a disappointment to the house and her family. Her heart began to race faster at the thought. 

"Are you okay?" George whispered in the darkness. The voice came from her left.

"No, I am not." Minji whispered back as she stared at - what she hoped was - the door. The footsteps grew closer and the two huddled closer together. Her hand reached out, landing on George's and squeezing tightly. In her mind, she prayed to whatever higher being there might be in the universe to come and swoop them out of the bathroom before Snape walked in.

The footsteps stopped just before the door. The two teens held their breath, staring into the darkness. The creaking of a door opening made their hearts drop. "Maybe we could hide in the stalls?" George suggested.

The girl shook her head, but she realized he couldn't see the action. "No, he'll still find us." With a sigh, she squeezed his hand tighter. That was almost impossible. His hand had begun to cramp and sweat, but the last thing he wanted was for her to let go and release the butterflies trapped in his stomach. "How did you even know Snape was on patrol tonight?"

A playful smirk grew on George's lips. "One surprise at a time, love."

Love. That word sent a wildfire through her entire body. She thanked the universe that they were in a pitch black bathroom so that he couldn't see the dark peach color that washed over her entire face. It was then she realized how tightly she held his hand. "Oh," she whispered as her hand let go of his, "sorry about that."

The door to the bathroom opened. Both of the teenagers' eyes widened as they stared up at the tall silhouette in front of them. "So, this is where you two have been." The voice of the second Weasley twin sent a wave of relief washing over them. "I wait patiently in the library while you two snog in the bathroom, eh? I'm ashamed of you, Georgie. I thought you had better manners than to kiss a girl on the first date."

Both of them felt their faces grow warm and they took a step apart. George rolled his eyes before approaching his brother. "You scared the bloody hell out of her."

"Out of me? You were scared, too!" Minji quickly exclaimed with a scoff. "You can't lie, Snape would have killed both of us if he had found us." Her arms crossed over her chest as she followed both Fred and George out of the bathroom. The moment she stepped out into the empty hallway, she realized how warm it had grown in the small bathroom. A chill shot through her spine as she rubbed her arms for warmth. "Are you going to tell me now?"

"Tell you what?" George asked as he glanced to his right at the shorter girl.

Rolling her eyes, she motioned back towards the bathroom. "How'd you know Snape is on patrol?"

Both of the twins shared a look. It was a mischievous look that the two often got when contemplating a prank or whether they should spill very secret information that they held. "Should we tell her, Freddie?"

"That's all up to you, Georgie."

With a chuckle, George reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He unfolded part of it to show her. "This is our very secret weapon. If I show this to you, it needs to stay safe and secure between us, you understand?" The girl gently nodded. A smile grew on his lips as he looked down at her. She looked almost intimidated by the paper he held in his hands. Pulling out his wand, he pointed it at the map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He spoke before tapping the paper with his wand. 

Text and images began to appear on the paper before her eyes, revealing a map. Small footprints began littering the spots on the map. "This is Hogwarts, right?" She asked but winced when she realized it was a stupid question. Of course, it was of Hogwarts. What else would it be of? Her eyes widened when she noticed Snape's name on the map with tiny footprints. He was around the stair case that lead to all of the common rooms. "Well, at least he's not near the library." She mumbled as she looked over the map.

"Remember," Fred spoke to the girl's right side, "super secret. We're talking ultra secret, right?" Minji nodded as she made a zipping motion over her lips. The boy smiled brightly at the girl. His eyes looked down to see her feet bare of any slippers or socks. "Not a shoe person, eh?"

Minji glanced down at her bare feet that had grown almost numb to the cold. Shrugging her shoulders, she looked up at the Weasley boy. "Sometimes they're not worth the hassle." The group rounded a corner to see the large library doors. The doors were normally shut, but now they were open a crack. She followed both of the twins into the library. Her eyebrows furrowed when the two quickly crouched. "What are you-" She was cut off when they both grabbed her arms and pulled her down between them. The three crawled to a desk to the left of the room.

"Look," George started quietly, looking at the girl, "don't be mad."

"Why would I be mad?" Her answer arrived sooner than she thought when she heard a girl giggling ahead of them. Glancing over the desk, she squinted to see in the darkness. Merely twenty feet ahead of them, Jodie Harper could be seen pressing scandalous kisses to Margie Korkwell's neck. The girl's hands pushed up his sweater as he pressed her further into the bookcase. "What is this?" She asked, unable to tear her eyes away. It was like a trainwreck she couldn't look away from. "Why would you bring me here? What is this?"

George and Fred shared frowns as tears began to grow in Minji's eyes. George grabbed her hand, squeezing it to grab her attention. "Watch this." He whispered as he waved his wand and mumbled a spell. The trio watched as a long tail began to grow out of Jodie. A pair of mouse ears began to grow out of his head. When Margie pulled out of the kiss, she began screaming bloody murder. Jodie felt the new ears on his head and began shouting as well.

Minji slapped her free hand over her mouth to silence her laughter. Both of the twins chuckled and high-fived. The three ducked behind the desk when the two teens ran out of the library. Tears began to slip down Minji's cheeks. Both of the twins' smiles drop at the sight of the tears. Was she crying from sadness or was she crying from laughter? Sniffling, Minji wiped her tears away. "That was brilliant!" She exclaimed as another burst of laughter passed through her.

Both George and Fred smiled in relief and began joining in with her laughter. Quick footsteps caught their attention and halted their laughter. "Snape!" The twins spoke in unison before grabbing Minji's arms and pulling her off of the ground. The trio jogged through the library towards the other entrance across the room. They pushed through the door just before Snape entered the library, gazing into the large room for any sign of a student.

The three laughed quietly as they made their way down the corridor. In that moment, Minji found herself purely happy. It was the first time in quite some time that she had been simply and genuinely happy. Her smile wasn't just a polite response; it was wide and toothy and it began to hurt her cheeks, but she paid those cramps no mind. 

"Well," Fred spoke with that same mischievous smile that would often grow on his lips, "I have some things to take care of before beddy-bye. I'll see you two in the morning." He slapped his brother's arm before taking off down another hallway, leaving Minji and George alone.

The two walked in comfortable silence for a few fleeting moments. Minji's arms crossed over her chest, holding her arms in an attempt to warm herself. Her mind searched for something to say - anything to fill the silence. "You know, I'm-"

"That was-"

The two spoke at the same time, stopping to let the other speak. They both chuckled as they told the other to go first. "Mine wasn't that important." Minji chuckled with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, neither was mine." He smiled politely at the girl next to him. 

"I'm really glad that we've become friends." Minji spoke, her voice cracking with nerves. "I think I've smiled more in the past two days we've spoken than I have in my five years here." Her fingers twiddled together. The fingernail of her right index finger dug into the skin of her left palm. "I wish we had become friends sooner - maybe I would have had more fun before now."

George's smile was bright and wide. It almost lit up the entire hallway ahead of them. "Well, you are a snooty Slytherin." He joked as he nudged her with his elbow.

"And you're a spoiled Gryffindor." She shot back with a teasing smile.

"Spoiled?!" George scoffed with disbelief. "If anyone's spoiled, it's you lot."

Rolling her eyes, she couldn't force away the smile that made its permanent home on her lips. "Your house gets a million points for just breathing. I seem to recall a certain lot of Gryffindor winning the house cup for breaking the rules. That cup was originally and rightfully ours, you know."

"Harry and them saved this place!" 

"Last time I checked, that isn't in the house cup curriculum."

The two had halted their walk, staring at each other and refusing to back down. Her arms were crossed over her chest and playful determination was in her dark eyes. The more he looked down at her, the more he noticed about her. He noticed the way the tip of her nose curled up and the way her right eyebrow would arch up when she was being smug. He noticed a tiny mole at the nape of her neck on the left. He also noticed a teeny scar on the right side of her jawline and another above her left eyebrow. Part of him wanted to ask about it, but maybe that was a question for a later date.

The girl hummed in victory as she turned to continue walking. The Weasley boy was quick to catch up and fall in line with her steps. "I'm glad we became friends, too." His voice was quiet, only for her ears to hear. A large smile grew on Minji's lips as they turned the corner to approach the stairs that led to the common rooms. They made their way a set of stairs and stopped just below the separate stairs to the Slytherin common room and the Gryffindor one. 

"I had fun." Minji chuckled as she pushed a piece of black hair behind her ear. "I'll see you tomorrow in Care for Magical Creatures?"

The boy simply nodded with a small smile. His eyes watched as she turned to make her way up the stairs. "Minj," he called out, grabbing her attention, "you deserve better than the likes of Jodie Harper."

With a large smile, Minji nodded in agreement before making her way back to the Slytherin common room. George turned to make his way up the stairs leading to the Gryffindor common room. The butterflies in his stomach were still fluttering, leaving him wide awake. He sighed as he mumbled the Gryffindor phrase and quietly entered the common room. It was going to be a long night.


	4. caring for a hippogriff

HER EYEBROWS KNIT TOGETHER AS SHE STARED DOWN AT HER TEXTBOOK. All of the words had begun to run together and her vision began to blur. She could almost feel the bags under her eyes growing heavier and the dark circles growing darker by the second. As much fun as she had the night before, she had begun to regret staying up so late as she attempted to focus on her studies.

"Mr. Weasley," Hagrid spoke from the front of the classroom, grabbing Minji's attention, "it's nice of you to finally join us."

The ginger quickly apologized before walking to the middle of the classroom to take the empty seat in front of Minji. He sent a thumbs up to the girl before taking his seat. With a small smile, she turned back down towards her textbook. The girl to her left leaned closer down to her. "Since when are you and Weasley friends?" 

Minji looked up at her friend with a shrug of her shoulders. "It just sort of... happened."

The girl laughed quietly with a shake of her head. "And how does Draco feel about that?"

"I don't think it's any of his business, wouldn't you agree, Meg?" Minji smiled widely at her friend. Megan Reeves rolled her eyes with a smile before turning back to the rules Hagrid was giving them before they were to visit his beloved hippogriff, Buckbeak. The older girl attempted to read over the section of hippogriffs but her mind seemed to wander. Her eyes slowly looked up to stare holes into the back of the ginger's head. Memories of the night before had raced through her mind.

At the front left corner of the classroom sat Jodie Harper, who kept rubbing his normal ears. A giggle escaped her lips, grabbing both Jodie and George's attention. They both glanced back to see the girl holding in her laughter. Jodie frowned while George let out his own chuckle. Megan nudged the girl with her elbow, sending her a certain look that told her to stop laughing.

"Alright, class," Hagrid spoke with a large smile, "remember to stay close together while we go visit Buckbeak." With that, he motioned for the group to follow him. The class gathered their things and quickly followed the new professor out of the classroom. 

The Weasley boy quickly joined Minji's side. "You're going to be my partner, right?" He asked quietly as they walked at the back of the group. Megan glanced back at the two with a roll of her eyes as she quickly caught up with Jodie.

Minji looked up at the boy with confused eyes. "Why me? Don't you already have a partner out of the million Gryffindor kids in this class?" She gripped her wand tightly as they made their way through the school. She could feel the holes that were being burned into her by Jodie and Megan and any other Slytherin in the class. Her arms crossed over her chest with a newfound discomfort. She hated the looks they were giving her before they would lean close to whisper some things. 

With a scoff, George shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, but I think you'll carry the team better."

"You just like me for my brains, huh?" She joked with a small smile.

"Well, I like your body, too." He almost froze when he finished the joke. Both of their faces grew warm with embarrassment. "I didn't... I mean... I didn't mean it like that." He managed to mumble out through his shaky voice. His hands nervously fiddled together as they made their way out of the school towards the small clearing where Buckbeak was chained to a tree.

"I'll be your partner." Minji mumbled as they neared the hippogriff. Her smile was kind and sincere. It was like the smiles she had sent him the night before. It was good to know that she was still the same person in front of everyone else as she was alone. "It'll be nice to brag about how a Gryffindor came crawling to a Slytherin for help. I'm sure you're bestie Potter will love that one."

George gazed down at her in an attempt to decipher if she was being snarky or joking. His eyebrows furrowed before she looked up at him with a joking smile. "You really are a Slytherin." He chuckled as he shook his head. When her expression turned to confusion, he nudged her with his elbow. "You're far too good at sarcasm. I thought you were being a real Malfoy for a moment there."

Rolling her eyes, she gently punched his arm. "Don't say that. He's..." She trailed off with a frown. "He's not that bad." The class gathered together to observe Hagrid handle and tame the beast. Minji stood on her tip toes in an attempt to see the lecture. A soft sigh escaped her lips when she realized that she would not be able to see. She wasn't incredibly short - unless you considered 5'4 incredibly short. The girl opted to simply listen to Hagrid's instructions and make a mental note. 

Her plans were quickly thrown out the window when George leaned closer to her. "What's with you and Malfoy anyway? Is he your boyfriend or something?" There was something in his voice akin to disappointment. It would be his luck that the girl he pined for since his first year would be dating one of the boys he absolutely despised. It was rare for George Weasley to despise people, but Draco Malfoy was at the top of that list.

Minji turned to the boy with wide eyes. "I promise you, I am not dating Malfoy. He's not... my type."

With that, George chuckled and leaned in closer. "And what is your type, young Hucks?"

With very little strength, she shoved him back. "Piss off, Weasley." A small smile forced its way onto her face without her permission. Something about him made her smile, even if she didn't want to. How she had gone five years without speaking to him was beyond her. "Definitely not dumb gingers with big noses."

"Oi," he laughed as he rubbed his nose, "it's not that big. I think you just haven't seen many noses." 

"None as big as yours."

"Will you two shut it?" Jodie snapped, turning to glare at them. His glare remained on the two for a fleeting moment before turning back to Hagrid and the hippogriff. The boy tried to push his anger down, but he couldn't quite bring himself to. It would be a lie to say he didn't feel anything for Minji. She was a good kisser, he had to admit. And she was gentle; she was nice. His mouth turned into a deep frown as he listened to Hagrid.

With a playful smile, George leaned in to whisper, "looks like he's still cross about the tail." His smile dropped when he noticed she had grown a frown of her own. His eyebrows furrowed as he straightened his posture. Deep down inside him, he was angry with Jodie for having this sort of impact on the girl. He had seen her go from laughing along with them and making cheeky jokes to almost in tears just from looking at the lad. It didn't take a genius to tell she was really heartbroken.

Holding out her quill and notebook, she quickly wrote down everything Hagrid said. By the time she had begun to understand his instructions, he had them break into their groups to tame Buckbeak. "I suppose we'll start with Jodie and Megan." The two Slytherin made their way towards the hippogriff. Everyone in the class watched as they slowly approached the animal with their hands up in surrender. As they neared the beast, it roared at them before lunging towards them. The chain around it stopped it from hurting them. "Remember to give him a peace offering." Hagrid instructed from the side. 

"Like what?" Jodie asked as he looked around the forest floor. There was nothing around for them to offer to Buckbeak.

Hagrid sighed with a pointed look. "I told everyone to bring a snack to class today." Pulling out his wand, he conjures an apple and tosses it to Jodie. "Points will be taken off for this." Jodie holds the apple out towards the hippogriff. The creature sniffs the air before taking a step towards the two. It stretches its neck to sniff the apple before downing it. Jodie's hand remains outstretched as Buckbeak rubs his head against Jodie's hand.

With a large smile, the two high five and take a step back. "Alright," Hagrid smiles and turns to the class, "next up is..." he looks through the class before his gaze lands on the timid face of Minji Hucks, "Minji and..."

"George!" The tall ginger responds by raising his hand and smiling widely. All eyes in the class turned to look at the two with confusion. The last thing they had expected was a Slytherin to be grouped up with a Gryffindor. With the energy of an excited child, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the front. "You brought a snack, right?" He whispered to the girl as he glanced back at Hagrid.

Rolling her eyes, Minji pulled out a peach from her robe pocket. "You're a nitwit." She mumbled as she began slowly stepping towards the hippogriff. 

George watched as the girl took a cautious step towards the creature. Under her breath, she whispered comforting words towards it. A small smile grew on his lips at how gentle and kind she was. He could tell she was confident, but not boisterous about it - like the Malfoy kid. His eyebrows furrowed as the blond popped into his mind. What were they? Were they really just friends? Shortly after the boy's first year, he could hardly see the two apart, but this year, he almost never saw them together. 

The boy quickly pushed the Malfoy kid out of his mind to focus on the girl in front of him. He watched as the hippogriff took the peach from her hand and swallowed it whole. Buckbeak leaned its head down for her to pet him, almost purring at the gentle rubs she left on its head. Hagrid chuckled from behind George as he watched Buckbeak lean further into her touch. "Alright now, you're gonna spoil him if you keep it up."

Minji pulled her hand back much to the dismay of the hippogriff. Both her and George returned to the back of the group of classmates. "Well, I think that went well." She breathed, attempting to calm her racing heart. One wrong move and she might have been cut up pretty bad. "I think he liked me." She chuckled and turned to face George who simply smiled back at her. It was clear he was lost in his own thoughts. "And all you had to do was watch." She attempted to joke as she nudged him with her elbow. "Easy A for you Gryffindor sorts."

He merely hummed in response as he stared down at his feet. This action concerned Minji. Her black eyebrows furrowed as she stared up at him. It was rare for a Weasley to be this quiet, especially after getting a good grade on an assignment. They would usually obnoxiously celebrate their victories, but that seemed to be the last thing on George's mind. Nudging him again, she leaned in closer. "Everything alright?"

George looked at her with confusion. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

With a shrug of her shoulders, it was her turn to look down at her feet. "You just got really quiet."

"I thought you liked the quiet." George teased with a smile.

"Well, yeah," Minji chuckled, "but it's odd for you. You're usually very... loud." Her hand reached out to pinch his arm. "I much prefer loud George to quiet George, though."

The ginger boy chuckled as he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. He decided then and there that he didn't care what Draco Malfoy or any other Slytherin had to say, he enjoyed the company of Minji Hucks and he decided that the two would have one of the greatest friendships ever seen at Hogwarts - not counting he and Fred, of course; thought that doesn't quite count since they were brothers.


	5. heart attack and a half

SHE SMILED WIDELY AT THE FLYER FOR TODAY'S QUIDDITCH GAME. The flyers had been made by Mai Cha, a Ravenclaw who excelled at art. Minji knew very little about any Ravenclaw, but she did know about Mai Cha. Almost everyone at Hogwarts knew about Mai. The girl was one of the smartest - there was a reason she was sorted into Ravenclaw. She also scared almost everyone at the school. Between her death glare and her sharp tongue, almost no one wanted to get on her bad side. Minji hadn't had any encounters with the girl, so if she was on Mai's bad side, she had no idea why. Maybe the two could've been friends in a past life.

A hand grabbed her arm, grabbing her attention. Megan gazed down at her with wide eyes. "Draco wants to talk to you," was all she said before pulling the girl down the corridor. Minji looked down at the girl's tight grip around her forearm with worry. What could Draco have to say that he needed to send Megan after her?

"What's this all about?" Minji asked as they pushed past students that were heading towards the Quidditch arena early. Most were first years wanting to get good seats. Her black eyebrows knit together as her friend remained silent. Yanking her arm out of Megan's grip, Minji remained still as her friend turned to glare at her. "I asked you what this was all about."

With a sigh, Megan shakes her head. "Just come with me, alright?" She reached out to grab Minji's arm again.

"No!" Minji snapped as she pulled her arm further from the girl. Her friend stared at her with shock before sighing. "Tell me what's going on!" By now, people had begun to slow their walk and stare at the two girls who rarely fought.

"Draco isn't happy about you spending time with the Weasley boy."

"His name is George."

Rolling her eyes, Megan nodded. "Yes, okay, George then. He doesn't think it's a good look for a Slytherin to be buddies with a Gryffindor."

"A good look?" Minji scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You've got to be joking, right? This is some stupid joke he put you up to?" Megan's gaze averted to the floor. It was becoming evident that this was not a joke. With another scoff, Minji turned to storm off. In her tight fist was the Quidditch flyer. It was a Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff match and, as much as she enjoyed watching Cedric Diggory play, she would be secretly rooting for the Gryffindor team. At the end of the day, she couldn't care less about Quidditch, but it was the staple of Hogwarts and it was far better than being cooped up in her room surrounded by textbooks.

Her feet stomped down the empty corridor towards the Quidditch arena. Almost everyone had already gotten their seats, she presumed. Most of her didn't care - she much preferred to be alone at the moment.

Almost as if some higher being had heard her, her body slammed into a boy who had just exited the bathroom. Apologies tumbled from her lips a mile a minute before she looked up to see one of the tall ginger boys. "Bloody hell, Fred." She mumbled as she rubbed her face with her hands. When her hands fell to her side, she let the flyer slip from her grasp. "You scared the living daylights out of me."

"I'm not Fred, I'm George, you dope." The boy responded.

Minji looked up at the boy with a scrutinizing gaze. "No, you're not. You're Fred. Your nose isn't as big as his." Her arms crossed over her chest as she stared up at the Weasley twin. It didn't take a genius to tell the two apart, just a couple of keen eyes. If you began to look at the two boys long enough, you began to realize they looked quite different. 

With a laugh, Fred nodded. "I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much."

It was then she noticed he was in his Quidditch uniform. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why are you back here? Shouldn't you be practicing for the match today? I think Cedric might give you a run for your money." The two began making their ways down the corridor towards the arena.

"Ah, Cedric ain't got nothin' on us." He laughed and nudged her with his elbow. His laughter died down quickly, turning into a frown. "To be truthful," he started, glancing around at the empty hallway, "I'm sort of nervous."

"Nervous?" Minji looked up at him with confusion. "Why would you be nervous? If we're being truthful," she glanced around to confirm their loneliness, "you and George are the best this school's got."

He nudged her with his elbow again, rolling his eyes. "You're just saying that 'cause you fancy my brother."

"What?!" Minji exclaimed with shock as she froze in her place. She stared at the ginger boy, wondering if she had heard him correctly. Maybe she had just imagined that and now she looked like a crazy person.

"Don't be daft," Fred rolled his eyes again, "we all know it!"

"Know what?! There's nothing to know!" Minji groaned and rubbed her face once again. She had just started talking to George - that was it! Why couldn't a girl be friends with a boy without people assuming she fancied him? They were just kindred souls that seemed to click, that's all! And that's what she would say until she was buried six feet underground.

"He talks about you, y'know," Fred chuckled as the girl quickly joined his side once again, "he's quite smitten." He looked down to see the girl's tan face grow bright red, from her chin to her hairline. With another chuckle, he rolled his eyes. "You have to admit, that Jodie prank was one of our best."

The girl giggled and pushed a piece of her long black hair behind her ear. "It was pretty funny."

"Pretty funny?" Fred laughed and shook his head. "I remember you had tears in your eyes because of how hard you were laughing. I'm quite proud of that prank, thank you very much."

"There you are!" A voice at the end of the hall grabbed their attention. George chuckled as he approached the two. "And what were you two lovely ladies chatting about? Hopefully not me." Though he was joking, part of him grew serious with the last sentence. The last thing he needed was Fred filling Minji's mind with the idea that he had a crush on her - he had no sorts.

The girl in front of him rolled her eyes as she smiled widely. "We were just talking about how big your nose is." Her dark eyebrows wiggled playfully as the boy joined her left side. "So, are you two excited for the match? You'll be up against some nasty Hufflepuffs; are you sure you can handle it?"

Both of the twins scoffed in response. "I think we can handle a few pushover badgers." Fred chuckled as they opened a door at the end of the hall to a set of stairs. The roaring crowd mixed with the pouring rain could be heard the moment the door was opened. "They're cheering for us, y'know." His smirk was proud as they made their way towards the arena. "We're quite popular with the crowds."

Minji hummed in response, glancing up at George. He had been uncharacteristically silent at her side. "You alright, George?"

The boy hummed as he glanced down at her. "Livin' the dream." He chuckled, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. It left the girl curious as to what was eating away at him. "Just a bit nervous." He shrugged his shoulders when the girl nudged his arm. His hands fiddled together as he cleared his throat. "You and your Slytherin friends gonna be cheerin' us on?"

Rolling her dark eyes, she playfully punched his arm. "Not if you have that attitude." She giggled as they neared the stands of the arena. Before they could part ways, Minji quickly grabbed George's arm to stop him. "Here, take it," she spoke as she slid off the green and grey braided bracelet from around her wrist, "as a good luck token." A large smile grew on his lips as her hand placed the yarn bracelet in his palm. "Not that you need it, but... Good luck." With another smile, she quickly made her way up the stairs to the Slytherin stand.

Her feet thudded heavily against the steel stairs. The bleachers were full of Slytherin students who looked quite bored. It was difficult to feel excited for a game your house isn't in. A large smile grew on her lips as she made her way towards the open spot next to Victor Rocko, one of her last friends in the Slytherin house, in his Slytherin colored raincoat. "You look dashing." She chuckled as he smiled at her.

"Draco finally let you talk to me?" Victor teased with a smirk. His long arms crossed over his chest. "Never thought the twat would come around."

"Victor." Minji rolled her eyes, attempting to force her smile into a frown. 

Victor nudged her arm with his, a joking smile playing on his lips. "Heard you've been hanging with the Weasley twins. That true?" To his right side, Minji remained silent, but the smile slowly broke through. He chuckled and shook his head. "Looks like somebody is finally breaking free from Malfoy's grip."

"I was never in Malfoy's grip." Her fingers formed air quotes around the words. Her smile was wide as giddy giggles escaped her lips. It had been so long since she had spoken to Victor that she had forgotten how much fun she had with him. "You're just being dramatic."

"Me? Dramatic? Never." He laughed. His gaze remained on her as their laughter slowly died down. "I missed you, Minj." 

Her smile grew even wider as she looped her arm around his. "I missed you, too, Vic." 

"You rooting for your Gryffindor boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend, you dunce." Her free arm playfully hit his chest. "But, I'll admit," her face began to grow red, "those Weasleys have good genes."

Victor laughed but was quickly drowned out by the sudden roar of cheering. The players from the Gryffindor team began flying out onto the field. Both Minji and Victor stood to watch the match. Her eyes immediately found one of the twins. From this distance, she couldn't quite tell which one she had spotted. "Two and three are for beaters, right?" Victor asked over the cheers of the crowds. The girl next to him shrugged her shoulders in response. "You should know. That's one of your boyfriend's positions."

"He's not my boyfriend, you git!" Minji laughed and hit him again.

"Isn't this a surprise." A voice behind them grabbed their attention. On the bleacher behind them stood Draco and Megan. "First the Weasleys and now... him." His eyes glared down at Victor. It was no secret that Draco wasn't a fan of Victor. She had never really understood why, just that - as soon as she befriended Draco - she would see Victor less and less.

Victor rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the game. Part of Minji felt bad about being so wishy-washy with her friendships. She just wanted to have friends and have people like her - which was a difficult task when she was placed in Slytherin. Now that she was slowly growing on Draco's bad side, things weren't looking too good for her.

Her eyes widened as a bludger slammed into one of the Weasley twins, knocking him off his course. Her heart practically stopped as she watched the boy shake his head to gain focus before continuing to play. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she watched him fly past the Slytherin stand. "I see why you like him." Victor mumbled in her ear.

Her hand slammed into his chest with a laugh. "Keeps your grubby mitts off." The two laughed as if they had never been away from each other. 

From above the stands, George caught a glimpse of the Slytherin girl. A laugh escaped his lips as she sent him a thumbs up. "I really think she likes you!" Fred shouted through the rain as he passed his brother. 

"Keep your eyes to yourself, Freddie!" George exclaimed with a laugh. "She's mine, mate."

"And what if she likes me more?"

"Not possible," George smiled brightly, "I'm the better looking one."

"In your dreams, Georgie!" 

Before George could respond, another bludger hit against his chest, knocking him off of his broom completely.

Minji's eyes widened as a gasp forced its way out. Without a word, she began pushing her way through the crowd towards the stairs. Her flat-clad feet thudded against the steel stairs as she quickly ran down. Her heart raced when she rounded the corner to see a Gryffindor boy helping George over to the side. She pushed past a few stragglers as she made her way behind the Gryffindor stands. "Oh, Merlin." She mumbled as she made her way behind the stand to see George sitting against the wall. "Are you alright?" Minji quickly knelt next to the boy to get a look for any injury. 

A teasing smile grew on his lips. "Come to look after me, Mrs. Weasley?" Rolling her eyes, Minji attempted to ignore the heat that crept up her face. Her hand gently grabbed his chin, lifting it to look over the large bruises that had begun to form on his neck and collarbone. "How the hell are you a Slytherin?" His voice comes out as a whisper.

"It's based on what you value, you dope," she giggled as she leaned back, her hands returning to her sides, "Not what your personality is. If it were like that, then you'd be in Hufflepuff."

"Hufflepuff?!" He scoffed and shook his head. "That's really what you think of me?"

Minji's hand reached out to flick his forehead. "There's nothing wrong with being a Hufflepuff, you git."

"You keep calling me nicknames and I might fall in love with you."

With a soft sigh, she took a seat against the wall next to him. "Good to know you're still the same idiot."

George looked over at her as he took a swig from his cup of water. "Were you scared for me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Minji giggled with another roll of her eyes, "I get scared for everyone who falls."

"I didn't see you running to help Kiera Kingston when she fell off."

"Well, she's a stupid badger, anyway." George laughed at Minji's remark, throwing his head back with his laughter. "What are you laughing at? I think I recall your brother calling them a bunch of pushover badgers earlier."

George smiled widely at the girl. His heart skipped a beat as her laughter died down. Stray pieces of soaked black hair fell out of her tight bun and framed her face. They looked soft and stuck to her face from the rain. She looked like an angel from above to the young man. "Well, I'm glad you chose me over Kiera Kingston."

Her smile turned playful as she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, don't get used to it. I won't always be there to look over your bruises."

"Yeah, you will."


	6. the ring

SHE SIGHED HEAVILY AS SHE STARED IN THE MIRROR. Something just didn't look right on her. She knew what it was, but she refused to acknowledge it. It was the maroon red sweater that hung loosely over her white button up. Another sigh gently spilled from her lips as she stared at her form in the mirror. The color looked foreign on her, a polar opposite of her usual green attire. Maybe this was all a mistake.

"Is that his?" A voice caught her off guard. The girl practically jumped as she looked over at a smiling Victor. He leaned against the doorway as his arms crossed over his chest. "You're a sucker already."

"Shut up!" Minji reached back to grab a pillow off of her bed and throw it at her friend. A chuckle escaped her lips as she pulled the sweater off. "I'm an idiot." She mumbled with a smile and took a seat at the edge of her bed. Her slim hands rubbed her face and ran through her black hair. With a groan, Minji rested her face in her hands. "Vic, I can't believe this. Can you? I'm a right idiot. I can't believe I'm trying to impress a stupid Gryffindor." 

"You hear about Draco?" Victor asked as he approached the bed, taking a seat on the corner.

"What about Draco?" Minji asked as she turned her head to look at her friend.

Victor crossed his arms over his chest. "That hippogriff of Hagrid's hurt him." At that, Minji shot up on the bed. "But you know Draco, the boy's a whiny git. He gets a scratch and claims it'll scar." The girl's eyes widened as she looked up at her friend, searching for any joke in his dark hazel eyes with deep dark circles under them. "He'll be fine, Ji."

Pushing herself off of the bed, she approached her small wardrobe and opened one of the drawers. Pulling out a thin green sweater, she quickly pulled it over her white button up. "Well, at least he's alright." She turned to see Victor was gone. A soft sigh spilled from her as she began pulling her hair into a low ponytail, letting a few hairs fall and frame her face.

Victor returned to the doorway and tossed a couple of small items at her. The moment she caught them, she took in the sight of the small ruby stone in the golden ring. "Where the hell did you get this?" There were intricate carvings on the sides, creating tiny roses in the gold. The other was a small tube of crimson red lipstick.

"The ring is from my grandmother." Victor smiled as he took a seat on the edge of her bed. "She always wanted me to be a Gryffindor and I think she wanted me to give it to my future wife. I don't have the heart to tell her I won't be getting a wife." He chuckled and leaned back on his elbows. "The lipstick I stole from Jinnifer."

"Victor!" Minji laughed and slapped his arm. "You're an absolute ass." She pushed the ring onto her ring finger and found it to be a little loose. With a small frown, she pulled it off before pushing it onto her left middle finger. It fit nearly perfectly. "Well, I'll make sure to take great care of it and bring it back to you today."

He waved his hand in the air. "Don't worry about it. She'll never know anyway."

She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. "You're a bloody miracle." Minji looked over the dark red lipstick. "Maybe another day for that." She chuckled. The two friends laughed as they made their way out of the common rooms. A yawn moved heavily through her body as they made their way through the busy hallway. "You think he'll notice?"

With a chuckle, Victor nodded towards the end of the hall. "I don't think you need anything fancy for him to notice you." His elbow nudged her side with a mischievous smile. He bid his goodbyes as he entered his Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. 

Minji smiled as she continued down the hall to see the Weasley twins talking by their Caring for Magical Creatures classroom. A sudden nervousness filled her as she grew closer to the siblings. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she offered the two a smile. "And what are you two ingrates doing here?"

"I'd like to think of us as outgrates, thank you very much." Fred smiled as Minji leaned against the wall next to George. His smile grew wider when he noticed the faint pink blush that spread throughout his brother's cheeks. "I heard you took care of 'ole Georgie here when he fell off his broom. My sincerest thank yous for keeping him breathing. I hope you didn't have to give him mouth-to-mouth. His breath can kill a hippogriff-"

"Fred!" George exclaimed with wide eyes. Both his and Minji's faces were bright red - it almost looked like they were sunburnt. Minji's eyes refused to leave the floor as the brothers sent looks at each other. 

With a sigh and a chuckle, Fred turned his attention back to Minji. He leaned closer to the girl. "His breath does stink, though." He whispered loud enough for George to hear.

"Fred! Piss off!" 

"Alright, alright, princess." Fred laughed as he punched his twin's arm before leaving the two alone. 

George forced out a chuckle to ease the tension between the two. "He was just-"

"Joking," Minji giggled and nodded her head, "I figured that much. You take me for a dunce, is that it?"

He opened his mouth to defend himself but, as she fell into a fit of giggles, he smiled widely. "I wouldn't necessarily say dunce." He laughed as her hand hit his chest. The two entered the classroom. "You're sitting with me, right?" He asked as they neared the tables.

Minji glanced between the table she had sat at with Megan and the table in front of them. With a soft sigh and a smile, she took a seat next to the ginger boy. Her heart jumped to her throat when she noticed Megan walk into the room. A scoff escaped her lips as she took her normal seat. A small, folded piece of paper landed in front of her on the table. Unfolding it, she took notice of the neat cursive writing of Megan. 'Traitor' was all it said. George leaned closer to get a look at the note. With a deep frown, Minji crumpled up the paper and set it on the table. With a wave of her wand, the paper quickly caught fire and faded to ash.

"Don't listen to 'em." George whispered to her with a small, encouraging smile. His smile quickly dropped when he noticed the bags under her eyes grow heavier and tears began brimming her eyes. With a soft sigh, he grabbed the paper in front of him and began folding it intricately until it almost formed a swan. Waving his wand, he began to smile as it began flapping its paper wings. He watched as it began flying its way towards the girl next to him. 

The small paper swan landed on her hand. A small smile grew on her lips as she lifted her hand to look at the paper bird better. "I didn't think you paid attention in that class." She spoke quietly as she choked back her tears. 

The door to the class opened and in walked Hagrid with a large smile. "Good to see you again, class." His thunderous voice commanded the attention of each student in the room. "Today, we'll be reading on phoenixes. Turn to page 835, please." Every student opened their textbooks, quickly finding the page Hagrid instructed.

To Minji's left, George leaned over to look at her textbook. When she sent him a curious look, he shrugged his shoulders. "I forgot my book." He whispered. His smile grew when she chuckled and rolled her eyes. Her hand slid the book to the middle of the table for the two to read.

The class went by fairly slowly with George occasionally passing small notes to her with poor puns he had thought of. Every now and then, Minji would hear Megan whisper something to her new deskmate and part of her wondered if it was about her. Her fingers reached out to twist the ring on her middle finger. "Where'd you get that?" George whispered to her. His eyes gazed down at the ring in curiosity. They were the Gryffindor colors - maybe she was seeing another Gryffindor. A frown almost grew on his lips at the thought.

"Victor Rocko." Minji answered. 

"Isn't he in Slytherin?" She nodded in response. "Why's he got a ring with Gryffindor colors?"

With a chuckle, she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "His grandmother used to be in Gryffindor, so she wanted him to be in it, too. I guess she also wanted him to find a wife in Gryffindor."

"Isn't he-"

"Yes." She laughed as she cut him off and nodded her head. "So he just decided to give it to me since..." She trailed off with wide eyes. The last thing she could do was say that it was to impress them. "He gave it to me since I was the only girl he was friends with." Her hands rubbed her face as she cringed. A sigh of annoyance escaped her lips.

Before George could say anything else, a loud chime cut them off. Hagrid bid his goodbyes to the students as they all scrambled out to their next class. Minji quickly gathered her things and followed George out of the classroom. "Which do you have next?" 

"Divination with Trelawney." The girl smiled brightly with the mere mention of the class. Trelawney had become like a second mother to the girl, keeping an open ear for whatever Minji needed to talk about. 

"You're a teacher's pet, I knew it." George chuckled. "All you snake people are."

Her fist collided with his arm as she rolled her eyes. "And you lions are no better. You're all Dumbledore kiss-asses." Her smile grew as George chuckled. His hand rubbed his arm where he knew a bruise would begin to form. She threw quite a punch, he had to admit. It was then he realized that Minji Hucks might be the girl of his dreams. 

"Do you think," George started as they neared her next class, "that maybe you could help me with Divination? I have an exam in there next week and I'm not sure I'm ready."

With furrowed eyebrows, Minji gazed up at him. Her tan shoulders shrugged. "That's a bit of a tight window you've got to learn everything."

"Well," a smirk grew on his lips, "you're smart enough. You'll figure it out."

Rolling her eyes, Minji raised her middle finger at him. "I'll meet you in the library after class." With that, she entered the class.

A large, giddy smile made its home on George's face as he began making his way to his next class. Over the past week, he had seen her become even more confident in herself and in their newfound friendship. 

"Hey, Weasley," a voice grabbed his attention. He turned to see Megan Reeves approaching him. "I wouldn't get your hopes up with Minji." Jodie followed closely behind the girl with a faint glare behind his eyes. "She has a tendency to... move around a lot."

"Oh, really?" George scoffed and rolled his eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was listen to the likes of Megan and Jodie. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Megan felt a frown grow on her lips. "Fine, have it your way. What do you think happened when she was sick of Victor? She moved on to Jodie, then Draco, and now you."

"And I'm supposed to trust a couple of snakes like you?"

"Like it or not, but your little girlfriend is a snake. Her mother and father were, her grandparents were, and so is she. She's a Slytherin, through and through." With that, her and Jodie pushed past the Weasley boy, leaving him to stew in their words. 

George's eyebrows furrowed as a deep frown grew on his lips. As much as he didn't want to, he couldn't help but repeat the interaction. From anyone else's perspective, Megan would be right. Minji seemed to have a different friend group nearly every month. He entered his classroom with a small frown as he joined his twin's side. With a soft sigh, George felt conflicted. 

"You alright?" Fred asked his brother.

George let out a chuckle. "Always."


	7. a leopard never changes its spots

HER SMILE WAS BRIGHT AS SHE FLIPPED THROUGH HER DIVINATION TEXTBOOK. The drawings on the pages gave her a great sense of happiness. The class in general almost gave her a sense of purpose that she had never really found before. Her eyes glanced up to see three students enter the library. Looking back down at the book, she began reading over the section on reading tea leaves. 

"Yeah, Draco completely dropped her." One of the girls spoke to her two friends as they entered one of the aisles. "I heard that she cheated on him with a Weasley." Another girl quietly gasped with wide eyes. Minji's hand balled into a fist as she listened to their conversation. 

"I didn't know they were dating." The other girl responded as her hand covered her mouth.

"That's what Draco told me." The first girl, who Minji recognized as Pansy Parkinson, shrugged her shoulders. She grabbed one of the books from the shelf and began flipping through the pages. "I don't understand which book Sinistra wants me to find. It's bloody gibberish to me."

Minji rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to her own textbook. There was no point in wasting her time and energy on silly rumors that Draco was childishly spreading. As she flipped the page, her quill would write notes for her on the table in front.

"Isn't that her?" A girl's voice whispered from the aisle to Minji's right. It was the same group of students. "Maybe we should ask her."

"Are you crazy?" Pansy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "She'll probably sick her Weasley dogs on us." She placed the book back on the shelf, sending glares towards Minji. "I've heard they all sleep in the same bed."

"They're probably all inbred." The third girl finally spoke up, her voice full of disgust and venom. 

The group of girls giggled quietly, glancing every now and then at the lone girl at the table. Minji bit her bottom lip roughly, wincing at the pain. Her dark and tired eyes stared down at the ruby ring on her on her right hand, her thumb gently twisting it. Part of her wanted to say something, - put the girls in their places - but she knew this would only get her in trouble. With a soft sigh, she continued to look through her textbook. "Maybe she likes dogs-"

Minji slammed her textbook shut, grabbing their attention. "Miss Hucks!" Irma Pince exclaimed before shushing the girl. The girl's gaze refused to leave the table in front of her. Slowly pushing herself out of the chair, she grabbed her textbook and began making her way down the aisle towards the group of girls. They all watch her approach them with a glare.

Without a moment of hesitation, Minji slams the book against one of the girls' faces. They all shout in surprise as Minji's fist bashed against the other girl's nose before shoving her to the ground. She saw nothing but red as her hand grabbed a fistful of Pansy's hair. Madam Pince rounds the corner with a gasp. She's quick to grab Minji's by the arm and pulled her away from the group of three girls. Minji's nostrils flare in anger as Irma drags her to the front desk. 

The door to the library flings open as Snape enters. "Miss Hucks," he spoke as he approached the girl, "it seems you might be... slipping into old habits." He looks down at her already scraped knuckles. "I suppose you are a Slytherin after all."

She remains silent as she follows Snape out of the library. As they walked through the door, George enters. His eyebrows furrow at the sight of her bleeding right hand. She refuses to meet his gaze, following Snape down the hall. He turns to look into the library to see Irma helping two girls whose noses were bleeding. Was Minji responsible for this? He glanced back towards the retreating girl before entering the library.

As he approached the table the girls sat at, one of them glared harshly up at him. "Teach your girlfriend some self control." She winced at the sharp pain in her nose. "She's turning into one of you Weasley dogs."

George's jaw clenched as a glare formed in his eyes. "Are those her things?" He quietly asked, nodding towards the textbook and quill on the table.

Pince nodded her head. "Her other textbook is in the aisle." She motioned towards the aisle of books to his left.

With a nod, George grabbed the textbook and quill from the table and made his way down the library aisle. On the floor was a familiar Divination textbook. When he picked it up, his eyes widened at the small specks of blood that were splattered on the cover. He couldn't help but wonder what the girls had said to warrant such an unusual reaction from the normally kind girl.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he made his way out of the library. Before he could even walk five feet, his twin and his younger brother quickly jogged up to him. "Did you hear about Minji?" Ron asked with wide eyes and a chuckle. His eyes attempted to look into the library for any evidence of the fight.

"We just saw her walking with Snape to his office." Fred joined Ron in trying to peek into the library. "Is that Lynn Coldwell? Oh, Merlin! I hope Minj didn't break her nose. That was her best feature." He laughed when George playfully punched his arm. Ron laughed as he looked from behind his older brothers.

George sighed as he began walking away from the library. Both Ron and Fred shared confused glances as they jogged to catch up to their brother. "Why are you sulking?" Fred laughed as they caught up. Ron's much shorter legs had a difficult time keeping up with the two tall boys. "Your girlfriend is a total badass!" 

"She's not my girlfriend, you git!" George exclaimed as he hit his twin's arm. A small smile forced its way onto his face the more he thought about it. The idea of Minji throwing fists was something he hadn't expected, but he wasn't quite opposed to the idea. Biting his bottom lip, he chuckled at the mere idea of Minji actually hitting someone meaningfully. 

Fred nudged George with a joking smile. "Isn't she going to get detention for this?" Ron asked with a nervous frown. Both of the twins looked at each other in realization that their younger brother was right.

In Snape's office, Minji stared down at her shaky hands. This wasn't her first fight; Merlin, it wasn't even her most memorable. Her gaze turned into a glare when the door to the office opened. The clicking of small heels could be heard approaching the girl from behind. Pansy Parkinson took a seat in the chair to Minji's right. Shortly after, Snape took his seat at his desk. His glare was sharp and annoyed as he looked down at the two girls across from him. "Does anyone want to tell me what this was about?" He spoke in his slow and intimidating tone.

Minji's gaze remained on her hands. She remained silent as Pansy spoke up. "She just went wild on me!" The girl exclaimed, shooting a glare at the other Slytherin girl. "She's been hanging around those feral Weasleys and now she's becoming just like them!"

Snape's gaze turned to Minji. "Miss Hucks?" The girl looked up to see both Snape and Pansy staring down at her. "Care to explain?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Minji let her gaze fall down again. Nothing she could say would help her now, and she knew that. The only things she could say would dig her a deeper hole. Pansy scoffed from beside the girl before rolling her eyes. "I'm telling you, she's mad. She's an absolute-"

"Miss Parkinson!" Snape raised his voice, silencing the girl. "We will get nowhere with you constantly talking." Pansy seemed to sink into her chair with that comment. Her arms crossed over her chest as her face formed a pout. "Miss Parkinson, if I see you in my office again, you'll be in detention. Is that clear?" The girl simply nodded as she pushed herself out of the chair. She shot Minji a sharp glare before leaving the two alone in the office.

Minji's hands clasped together as she looked up at the head of her house. "Am I being expelled?"

"No."

"Are you going to tell my parents?"

"Yes."

She slowly nodded. Her parents wouldn't care. Merlin, they might congratulate her with a nod and a handshake. With a soft sigh, her face fell into her hands. "I can't believe I did this." She mumbled into the palms of her hands.

"Miss Hucks, I must ask, what compelled you to revert back to your old ways?"

Her hands fell back onto her lap. Her gaze refused to meet his in fear that she would burst into flames. "I just..." She trailed off the more she thought on George and her friendship with the Weasleys. "She got on my nerves." Her frown deepened as she rubbed her face. "I'm trying to be better, I promise."

Snape's eyebrow arched up at her statement. "Is that so?" The girl nodded in response. "Fine. Since this is your first offense this year, I'll let you off with-" He was stopped by a loud clamber outside of his office. Pushing himself out of his chair, he made his way towards the door. Minji followed behind him with curious eyes. 

The two exited the office to see a large group of chickens running through the hall. Minji's eyes widened when she noticed two familiar boys at the end of the hallway. As they chased the chickens past Snape's door, the professor grabbed them both by the collar of their shirts. The twins looked to their friend with wide eyes. 

Snape's gaze turned to see Minji watching the boys with shocked eyes. He dragged both of the boys into his office before slamming the door. "Why am I not surprised?" The two twins and the girl made their way to the chairs across from Snape's desk. "I suppose this was your plan, Miss Hucks."

"What?!" Minji exclaimed with wide eyes. "Me? Why me?" Her gaze turned to the two siblings next to her. "I don't..." She trailed off. Part of her wanted to feign ignorance, pretend she didn't even know them. But that was awful. That was more rude than she could ever think to be. Her eyes glanced up from her hands to the two boys who watched her. "Yeah, I told them to do it."

Both Fred and George looked to her with shocked eyes. "No, sir-"

Snape held his hand up to silence them. His glare was enough to force anyone to stop talking. "Are you being truthful, Miss Hucks?"

"I thought I'd get detention, so I told them to make a distraction so you'd let me off." Her eyes refused to leave her shaky hands. They began to ache and the small cuts on her knuckles began to bleed again. Her mother was going to kill her after this.

Snape slowly nodded as he looked over the three. With a sigh, he clasped his hands together. "You'll all be in detention for the next month-"

"Month?!" Both Fred and George exclaimed loudly.

"Make that two months." Snape shot a harsh glare at the twins. "Is this understood?" The three teenagers nodded in response, staring down at their hands like children being scolded. "Good. I'll speak to McGonagall about you... two. Now, get out."

They all stood from their chairs and made their way out of Snape's office. Minji remained silent as they all walked down the empty corridor together. Both Fred and George shared a look, not knowing what to say. They wanted to ask her about the fight, but from the looks of her hands, she might not want to speak on it. Fred nudged his brother's arm, nodding towards the girl.

"Minj?" George quietly spoke with a frown. The girl hummed in response, not looking up from the ground. "Why did you hit Pansy and Lynn?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Minji gently ran her finger along her bruised knuckles. "They were saying that you Weasleys were dogs and that I..." She trailed off with a deep frown and furrowed eyebrows. "They said I cheated on Draco with you. We aren't even dating - we never dated!" She scoffed as her hands gestured wildly.

Fred and George shared a look of worry. Her voice would crack, almost as if she were on the brink of tears. "Well, I think Draco's a right git." Fred spoke up with an encouraging smile.

"I try to be nice to everyone and I try to get rid of everything I used to be, but no one wants me." Minji sighed gently as her hands rubbed together. "I don't want to be like this anymore. I don't like being so... angry." Her voice broke as tears filled her eyes. Her hands quickly wiped the stray tears that slipped down her cheeks. "I wish I had never been placed in Slytherin."

George placed a comforting hand on her left shoulder. "But you're the best damn Slytherin they've got." The girl shrugged her shoulders again, shrugging off his hand. The three fell into silence as they turned the corner of the hallway. Occasionally, they would see Minji wipe away a tear and sniffle. The two knew all about Minji's old reputation. Just about everyone at Hogwarts knew exactly how Minji Hucks used to be. Their fourth year, when she became the friendliest face at the school was the strangest year for everyone. The last thing anyone had expected was for her to become a kind and considerate person.

As they neared the ever-changing stairwell to the common rooms, Fred patted his twin brother's arm. He made his way up the stairs while George and Minji remained at the foot of the stairs. "Minj," he spoke, his voice soft and quiet, "thank you for defending us. I know that's probably not why you got in the fight, but-"

"It is." Her voice was scratchy, rough, and quiet. "They were saying... some awful things about you guys. They just..." She sighed as her arms hugged herself, "I'm sorry they say those things."

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. The two remained silent for a fleeting moment. "Do you want to do something?" The girl in front of him furrowed her eyebrows. "I was thinking maybe sneaking down to the kitchens and stealing some snacks."

Minji laughed as a tear slipped down her puffy cheek. Nodding her head, she quickly wiped the tear away. "Sounds like fun."

George's bright smile widened as he grabbed her hand and dragged her away. The two giggled like naughty schoolchildren pulling a prank on their teacher. Her black ballet flats clicked against the cobblestone floors as they quickly made their way down the empty corridors. Most students had retreated back to their rooms, studying or joking around. Minji noticed the small tingles that vibrated from her hand and up her arm as he squeezed her hand in his. 

The two stopped short before the Great Hall. George glanced into the large room, looking for any sign of life. When the room was silent and dead, they made their way in. "This is stupid." Minji giggled as they tip-toed their way towards the kitchens. "We're going to get into trouble."

"Not if you shut up."

She quietly gasped before hitting his arm with her free hand. He flashed a bright smile her way as they entered the empty kitchen. Butterflies filled her stomach as George waved his wand, lighting all of the candles in the large room. Her eyes widened as did her smile. "Well," she started as she approached the stove, "is there something certain you're in the mood for?"

"What about some jammy tarts?" George's smile had a childlike happiness to it. It almost made her cry on the spot. It was a joy that she wished she could have known. The Weasley's were notorious for their closeness - something that the Hucks family had never known. "My mum used to make those whenever I was feeling down."

"And what does George Weasley get down about?" Minji chuckled as she began rooting through the cabinets for the ingredients. 

George leaned his elbows against the counter as he watched her work. "One time, my aunt sent Fred a birthday present - card and everything. I got absolutely nothing." His fingers twiddled together as Minji froze her movements. She glanced back at him with a frown. "Turns out it had gotten lost in the post, but, at the time, I was devastated. I thought the family had forgotten about me." He chuckled and shook his head. 

"Well," Minji offered a smile, "I would have gotten you a gift." Her elbow nudges him in an attempt to pull him out of the new slump he found himself. "I'm sorry if I fouled the mood. I shouldn't have said anything."

Rolling his eyes, George nudges her back. The two remain silent as Minji begins baking the tarts. She spins her wand in her hand as the spoon mixes the dough by itself. Looking through the cabinets for the strawberry jam, she sighs. "When you first met us, did you notice me or Fred first?" George asked, catching Minji off guard.

"You." She responds as she continues looking through the cabinets. 

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why me?"

Her eyebrows furrow as she pushes herself up from the ground. Turning to face the ginger, she notices the slight frown on his lips. "You want me to be honest?" She scratched her chin before leaning against the counter, facing him. "You're funnier than your brother."

George stared at her with wide eyes. "You're lying." A faint flush of pink began to creep up his neck and stained his cheeks. Almost no one had ever really paid attention to him before his twin. Fred was always the first to speak, the first to crack a joke, the first to make friends. George had never really had a problem with it, preferring to play the peacekeeper of his brother's disasters. 

Rolling her eyes, Minji nudged his arm. "I may be a Slytherin, but I try not to lie." When the dough had finally began to solidify, she sprinkled a bit of flour on the counter and pulled the dough from the bowl. "I'm serious, though." She spoke as she began kneading the dough to harden it a bit more. "I remember, our first year, you turned Sinistra's hair green. She about had a heart attack. I don't think I've laughed harder - other than your prank on Jodie." With that, she grabbed the rolling pin from one of the drawers. Setting her wand to the side, she began rolling the dough by hand.

George watched with curious eyes. It was a rare sight to see a wizard or witch do any manual labor by hand. He would sometimes see his mother doing small tasks without her wand, but most of the family relied quite heavily on their use of magic. Resting his chin on his hand, he watched her flatten the dough, occasionally sprinkling flour to dry out the dough. Her eyes glanced up towards him, unfamiliar with the silence. "What are you looking at?" She chuckled.

"You."

"You keep staring any longer-"

"I'll get a permanent imprint on my eyelids."

With a laugh, she nods. "And that's the last thing anyone would want." Once the dough had been rolled, she began cutting circles in it. "Seriously, why do you keep staring at me?" She chuckled as her fingers formed the crusts for the tarts.

"It's just odd."

"Me?"

"Well, yes," George laughed as Minji hit him, "but it's just odd to see you do almost everything by hand. I never see you witches not using your wands."

Rolling her eyes, she placed the small bowls of dough onto the metal cooking pan. "My aunt was a muggle. She would babysit me almost every day while my parents were at... work." When she filled the entire pan with dough bowls, she placed the pan into the oven before starting the timer. Minji took a seat on the marble floor, her back pressing against the cabinets. George quickly repeated her actions, sitting next to her. "She taught me quite a bit about... everything. Life, cooking, friendships... boys."

George's eyebrows lifted at that. He turned to look at her laughing form. A smile grew on his lips as he gazed down at her. There were no longer any signs of sadness in her, despite the two-month-long detention that loomed over their heads. But he couldn't bring himself to care about that - all he cared about were the tarts in the oven and the laughing Slytherin girl next to him on the floor. "And what did she teach you about boys?"

Minji smiled shyly as she pushed a piece of black hair behind her ear. "Well," her gaze rested on the floor below them, "she taught me that... they were a bunch of blundering idiots not worth the time of day." George's smile dropped but quickly picked back up when she began laughing again. It was clear that she had begun to become slap-happy. As her laughter died down, her fingers wrung together. "There are some days where I agree with that, - most days, actually - but other days, they can be sweet and kind and sort of smart. But most of the time, it's only when they want something from you."

"Where does Jodie Harper fall on that spectrum?"

"The kind one only when he wants something."

"And that was?"

"A quick lay with the only Slytherin girl who would give him the time of day." Minji chuckled. It quite surprised her how easily she could talk about Jodie. When she had first seen him with Jinnifer Lovell or Margie Korkwell, it had almost shattered her heart. Jodie Harper had been the first boy to make her feel... at home. She had loved her house and she wouldn't trade it for anything, but she didn't miss the looks people would give her - inside and outside of her house. Because she was kind to others, she didn't quite fit in with her house. Because she was a Slytherin, she didn't quite fit in anywhere else. 

George remained silent next to the girl. He opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off when the timer began ringing. The two popped off of the floor. Minji placed on an oven mitt before opening the oven and pulling the pan out. "I suppose we let these cool before placing the jam on, right? I haven't made these since I was a little kid." George simply nodded in response to her question.

With a soft sigh, she reclaimed her seat on the floor. "I think you're the only proper friend I have anymore." She spoke as he took his seat next to her. Her voice was soft and quiet as she stared at the wall with a blank expression. "Isn't that sad," she chuckled humorlessly, "I only have one friend in the entire world."

"I don't think it's sad." George's hand twitched, tempted to reach out and hold hers. Something in his brain told him that was the last thing he should do, that she would pull away, disgusted with him. So, he kept his hands to himself and merely offered words as comfort for the girl's sad thoughts. "Loads of great people only have a couple friends. I think you and Fred are mine."

"Are you saying you're great?"

"I'm amazing." George smiled brightly as Minji laughed. He watched as she pushed herself off of the floor and grabbed the small jar of strawberry jam on the counter. With a spoon, she scooped out some jam and placed it inside the small dough bowl. She did the same with another, handing it to George. He quickly sunk his teeth into the tart; his eyes widened at the sweet treat. "This is brilliant! You're brilliant at this!"

With a warm smile, Minji took a bite of her own tart. "My aunt was better." She chuckled in memory of her aunt laughing when she had flattened the dough out too much and her tarts crumbled in her tiny hands. 

"You still talk to your aunt?"

A frown grew on Minji's lips at the question. Not an angry or a mean frown, but a sad one - one that had seen loss. "No, she's... uh... she isn't with us anymore." She couldn't force herself to say the word. It was the word that lingered in her mind, the one that haunted her any time she thought of her dear aunt. Dead.

"Oh." George responded with an apologetic look in his eyes. He remained silent as he took another bite of his tart. His brain went blank, forgetting any words to give to the girl as an apology. Was it recent? Was it tragic? Of course it was tragic for her. He mentally scolded himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her take her seat next to him on the floor. In her left hand was another jammy tart, held out to him. He took it with a small smile. "You two are idiots for that chicken prank."

"We thought it would get you out of detention!"

"I wasn't even going to get detention until you bugheads brought those blasted chickens into the school!"

The two laughed as they playfully argued on the floor of the kitchens, occasionally taking bites of their tarts. Neither of them had known happiness like this before, and neither wanted it to go away anytime soon.


	8. detention

SHE SMILED WIDELY AT THE RAMBLING BLONDE WOMAN IN FRONT OF HER. It was nearly exam day and all Trelawney could talk about was her favorite type of tea leaves to read. Most students would attempt to steer her off topic to waste time in class and avoid work. Minji couldn't quite blame them some days. No matter how much she loved the subject, there were still days where she found the lesson to be dragging on and on with no end in sight. This seemed to be one of those days. 

While the professor continued to ramble on, Minji began doodling in her notebook. She would draw tiny hearts, tiny stars, and small frogs. Her eyes would droop with exhaustion and her lines would get more and more jagged and messy. Just as she felt herself falling asleep, a loud chime woke her up. Students began filing out in droves while Minji slowly gathered her things. 

Trelawney smiled down at her star pupil. "You look tired, dear." The professor took a seat at the table with the young girl. Her eyes searched for any answer she could find in Minji's eyes.

"I got detention, Professor Trelawney." 

Trelawney's large eyes widened comically. That had been the very last thing she expected Minji Hucks to tell her. The girl, her recent Hogwarts career, had been one to keep her nose down and avoid trouble. Trelawney had heard rumors from other students about Minji's old mean streak. She would scare the other students away, fitting perfectly into her Slytherin stereotypes. Other teachers would dread having her in class, afraid she would start a fight that would force them to fill out more paperwork. 

But when Trelawney looked at Minji, she saw a sweet young woman who was trying her hardest to overcome a lifestyle her family had forced upon her. It broke her heart to hear the tales of the Hucks family and the fighting ring they ran. She couldn't imagine bringing such young children to such a thing. "What happened?"

Tears began to well in Minji's eyes as she looked down at her bruised knuckles. "I got in a fight." Her voice came out as a whisper, low and soft. The only expression on her features was pure shame. Part of her feared what Trelawney would think after this. Would she think Minji was a delinquent who was the last student she wanted to speak to? Or would she scold her like a mother who couldn't stand the sight of her child?

A hand reached out to grip her shoulder in a comforting manner. "Minji," her voice was gentle and motherly, a tone that Minji was unfamiliar with, "these things happen. Some days, we're our own worst enemy." This was a side that very few could see from the, normally rambling, Trelawney. "As long as you're trying to be better - that's all that matters." The blonde pulled her into a tight hug, holding the student as she cried softly against her. Her hand rubbed small circles against her back, humming a song in an attempt to comfort the girl.

Minji thanked whatever higher power there might be that Divination also happened to be her last class for the day. Tears slipped down her face in rapid succession. Once she had started, it was almost like they refused to stop. Part of her wondered if this was what other children received when they were upset. She just got odd stares and silence. 

Pulling back from the hug, Minji wiped her face. Embarrassment filled her as she pushed herself away from the table. "Thank you, Professor." She mumbled as she gathered her books and her wand. 

"Minji," Trelawney spoke, stopping the girl, "my door is always open."

With a quick nod, Minji made her way out of the classroom. Dread filled her at the idea of detention. It was an all-too familiar experience that she wished to avoid at all costs. Keeping her head down, she hoped none of her fellow student would see her with red and puffy eyes. With a soft sigh, she turned down a corridor to make her way to Snape's office. Her arms hugged her textbooks tightly to her chest as her hand held her wand. 

Staring down at her feet, her body slams into someone else. Her books fall to the floor as does her wand. Her eyes dart up to see a familiar smirking blond staring down at her. "Look at you," Draco chuckles as his arms cross over his chest, "you off to go slam a book in someone's face?" With another laugh, he bends down to help her pick her books up.

His hand picks her wand up, holding it out to observe it. "I still can't believe you got a dragon heartstring core. I wish I had gotten that." The girl remained silent as she took her books from her former friend. "What, too good to talk to me now that you've been around those Weasley dogs?"

"They're not dogs, Draco." Minji's voice was quiet as she pulled her wand out of his grip. "They're quite nice, actually."

"Do they know the real you? Do they know the you that would beat them to a pulp if mummy and daddy asked?" His face turned smug as he took a step towards her. He watched as her eyes turned into a sharp glare. Her angry side was rare these days, but he knew she had tried to bury it deep deep down. A leopard never changes its spots, after all. He knew her better than most in Hogwarts and he knew exactly what it took to push her buttons.

In that moment, Minji regretted ever even giving Draco a chance. She should have hit him right in his stupid nose the moment he spoke to her. But the Malfoys were some of her parents' best customers. And punching the customer was bad business practice, some days.

With a roll of her eyes, she pushed past the blond boy. He scoffed before reached out to grab her arm and stop her. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" His face contorted to annoyance as she yanked her arm from his grasp. "Off to snog your Weasley boyfriend?"

"Yeah, and maybe I'll snog your mum on the way there." Minji held up her middle finger as she walked off, leaving an annoyed Draco Malfoy. Steam could have funneled from her ears from how angry she was. Her fingers twitched at her sides. Curses filled her mind at how easily she fell back into her old self. The bruises hadn't even begun to fade and she was ready to replenish them, enjoying the sight if blood dripping from them. 

She pushed her way into Snape's office. Both of the Weasley twins jolted up, expecting the professor himself to enter. They watched in curiosity as she took her seat far away from them. Her head lied down on the desk, resting in the crooks of her arms. Fred nudged his twin to grab his attention. "What's wrong with her?" He whispered quiet enough for only his brother to hear. 

George simply shrugged in response as he watched Minji. His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed her hands flexing before curling into a fist, repeating these actions every few seconds. He could almost see the tendons in her hands move underneath the skin against the dark bruises that were still prominent. 

The room was deadly silent as the two twins stared over at the girl. George began folding a piece of paper in front of him into the shape of a frog. It had worked to cheer her up when they were in their Care for Magical Creatures class and he hoped that it would help in this moment. Waving his wand, the paper frog began to hop. He quietly carried it over to the girl, setting it on her desk before returning to his own. 

Minji lifted her head when she felt something hopping on her hand. A small smile grew when she noticed a tiny paper frog jumped around her desk. She didn't need to turn around to know that the twins were watching her like a pair of sparrowhawks. Without a word, she began folding her own piece of paper into a rabbit. After waving her wand, the paper rabbit began to hop around the desk along with the frog.

Her smile grew as the two animals began playfully jumping around each other. Picking up the rabbit in her hand, she set it on the empty desk to her right. George smiled brightly as he reached out to grab the paper rabbit. "Minj." He whispered, grabbing her attention. When she turned to meet his gaze, his smile dropped. Between the bags that were formed under her eyes to the clench of her jaw, he could tell she had been crying. "Is everything okay?"

"Just peachy, Weasley." She mumbled before turning back to the frog.

The door to the room opened, revealing a disgruntled Professor Snape. He stopped in his tracks at the sight of the three students. "Oh..." he spoke in realization, "right." With a sigh, he approached his desk. Straightening a set of paperwork, he looked up to meet the gazes of the troublesome students. "Well, it seems that most detention duties have already been attended to." They all almost released a sigh of relief, but his voice stopped them. "The only one left is to file books in the library without magic."

Both Fred and George groaned loudly, earning a sharp glare from the older wizard. Snape looked over to gauge Minji's reaction, only to see none. The girl merely stared down at the small jumping paper frog in front of her. "Well," Snape started, grabbing their full attention, "follow me."

The three stood to follow the professor out of the room. Minji was quick to gently stuff the paper frog into the pocket of her Hogwarts robes. The twins walked behind her and Snape, whispering to each other so that they wouldn't get in trouble. "Do you think she liked the frog?" George whispered to Fred.

"Who cares?" Fred furrowed his eyebrows. "We have to go file all of those stupid books now." His arms crossed over his chest with a huff. The last place he wanted to spend his day would be filing the millions of library books that other students had returned and refused to file themselves. 

The group entered the large library. Minji stiffened when Irma Pince's gaze landed on her. The older woman sent a disapproving glare at the girl before turning to Snape. The two discussed what the students were doing there. Minji took a step back, wanting to be out of Irma's line of sight. Her back knocked against the twins. "Sorry," she mumbled under her breath, refusing to look up at them. 

"Y'know," Fred chuckled as he leaned over her right shoulder, "you don't have to apologize. We're quite used to being beaten and shoved."

George rolled his eyes as he pushed his brother. "Ignore him," he spoke as he leaned over her left shoulder, "he's an idiot."

Snape cleared his throat, grabbing all of their attention. All three students looked up at him with wide eyes. "You will not leave this room until all of the books are sorted. Is that clear?" The three leaned to the right to see the large stack of books just behind the librarian desk. It nearly reached the ceiling. "And no magic." With that, he made his way out of the library, leaving the students with Irma.

"You heard the man." She spoke in her shrill voice. "Get to work."

Minji quickly made her way towards the tall set of piles. She remained silent as she began gathering books in the crook of her arm. Before George could say anything, she made her way through the library to begin filing her books. A frown grew on his face as he watched her disappear behind a large shelf of books.

A hand snapped in front of his face, pulling him out of his daydream. Pince glared at him before pointing to the stack of books. Both him and Fred gathered a set of books before making their way through the labyrinth. The twins stuck together, not leaving each other's side for too long. "You think she's mad at me?" George asked, glancing around for any sign of the girl.

"Why would she be mad at you, Georgie?" Fred asked as he leaned against the book shelf, staring at the books like they were alien objects. "Have you done something naughty?" His eyebrows wiggled mischievously. "Perhaps after I left you two last night?"

George rolled his eyes before shoving his brother. "Nothing, you perv." He placed one of the books in a random spot. "She just... She seems like she's mad at me."

"Well, why don't you ask her yourself?" Fred nodded his head towards George. The boy turned to see Minji at the end of the aisle. Her arm stretched as high as it could as she stood on her tip-toes. No matter how much she stretched, she couldn't quite meet the shelf she needed. A hand slapped George's arm. "Cheers, mate. I'll see you two in a bit." Fred chuckled as he pulled out his wand and watched the books glide into their correct spots.

George watched his brother leave the aisle, leaving only him and Minji. Taking a deep breath, he began approaching the girl. Curses slipped past her lips as she stretched her arm just a tiny bit more. A small smile grew on his lips as he watched her dark eyebrows furrow and curse under her breath.

He reached out to gently pull the book from her grasp. "Let me help." His voice was soft as he stood on his own tip toes and easily slid the book in its rightful place. She muttered a thanks before moving to leave. His hand quickly caught her arm, stopping her. "Are you alright? Is there something I've done to upset you?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she stared up at the ginger boy. "What? I'm not mad at you? Why would you think that?" She pushed past him to look through the rest of the book shelf. 

"I don't know." George shrugged his shoulders as he followed her. If he were someone else watching these events, he would consider the lad a poor lost puppy. "It just seems like you're... avoiding me."

Minji turned to face him. "I'm not mad at you, George." With that, she placed her last book in its spot. Her feet carried her through the library to the front desk and the ever growing stack of books. Quickly behind her, the tall Weasley boy followed like a lovesick kitten. After piling a few books in her arms, she turned quickly, slamming against the boy. A sigh escaped her lips as all of the books clattered to the ground. The two knelt down to gather the books once again. Her annoyance was beginning to build with the clingy ginger.

As he attempted to gather the books as quick as he could, one slipped from his hand, landing on Minji's bruised hand. She hissed in pain as she pulled her hand back. Apologies began to tumble from his lips like a waterfall of pure regret.

"George!" Minji snapped, silencing the boy. Her day had already been going quite awful and she didn't need a boy looming over her every move. "I may not be mad at you now, but if you keep treating me like I am, then I will be." She took the books from him and made her way further into the library. Shaking her head, she began placing the books away on the shelf.

"Minji," a gentle voice grabbed her attention, "I'm really sorry if I-"

Minji sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. "It has nothing to do with you, George. Today has just... It's been a lot." She placed a book in its rightful spot before turning to face the frowning boy. It was almost comical. He looked like a cartoon with his lanky arms hugging himself and a sad frown on his lips. "I promise, I would let you know if you made me angry."

He slowly nodded, finding little comfort in her words. Something about them made him feel a little guilty - like he really was the cause of all of her problems. His hands wrung together as he watched her continue to file books. He almost preferred her to yell and curse at him rather than treat him like a stranger. "Are you sure-"

His question halted when she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. His eyes widened and his face flushed. A wash of pink covered his entire face and neck. As quick as it began, she pulled back. A warm smile was painted on her face. "Stop worrying so much. It's not good for your health."

He was putty in her hands as he watched her walk off. His legs grew shaky - weak almost. George was no stranger to fun flirting with beautiful girls, but she was different. The moment he had laid eyes on her at the beginning of their first year, his heart had grown a crush. It had subsided around their third year when he finally realized that the girl who started a fight nearly every day would want nothing to do with him. But then something about her changed over the summer before their fourth year. She would go out of her way to be kind to everyone she met, and just like that, his crush was reawakened. 

Part of him had always wondered if Minji had noticed him, way back in first year. He internally cringed at the awful, home-made haircut he had and the tattered hand-me-down clothes from Percy and Bill. Charlie had usually wanted to keep his old clothes, no matter how small they had gotten on him. He thought more on first year Minji and just how tiny she was. She had a minimal growth spurt, leaving her almost the exact same size. But her hair had been much shorter, with choppy layers and she had lost all of her baby fat. He remembered how chubby her cheeks were - almost like a squirrel. For someone who would rarely smile, she had the best features for a smile.

He watched her enter the aisle again. "Did you ever notice me our first year?" He suddenly asked, grabbing her attention.

"Hard to not notice that 800 Weasleys that are here." Her lips curled into a playful smile. "Especially when they're as loud and troublesome as your brother."

"I had no idea you felt that way about Percy."

Minji chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot."

"You love it."


	9. gentle breeze of a roaring storm

A SOFT SIGH ESCAPED HER LIPS AS SHE SQUINTED AGAINST THE COOL AIR. Her legs lifted onto the bench, pressing tight against her chest. Something about the breeze gave her a comfort that she couldn't find anywhere else. Winter was finally giving way to spring, allowing for things to begin to grow once more. As much as she wished she could join her fellow students in welcoming summer, she quite hated the season. To her, it brought nothing but misery and pain. The last thing she wanted was for school to end and for her to go to the place she could never call home.

The frown on her face deepened as she watched the dark figures loom about the grey sky. Her arms held her legs tight to her body, fighting back a cold chill. Her eyes fell shut as she rested her forehead against her knees. Another soft sigh slipped from her lips. As much as she wanted to return to her dorm, there were no friendly faces there for her. It seemed no matter where she turned, there was nothing there for her. 

From just inside the hall, George and Fred watched the lone girl. George rested his chin in his hand with a soft sigh. Fred rolled his eyes in annoyance as he looked over his lovesick twin brother. He wanted to hit his brother as hard as he could - hoping to knock some sense into him. He watched as George moved to rest his chin on his left hand, sighing once again. "Oh, for Merlin's sake, just go talk to her!"

George quickly shushed his brother, glancing over to make sure Minji had not heard. She remained unmoved, undeterred from her daydream state. "You're a right git, y'know."

Fred rolled his eyes again before hitting his brother's arm. "I'm gonna go talk to her."

"No-" Before George could stop him, Fred began making his way towards the Slytherin girl.

His feet quickly carried him over the almost empty bench. "Hello, Minj." He spoke as he took a seat next to her. Glancing behind himself, he chuckled as George attempted to hide behind one of the pillars of the porch. "And what keeps you out on this dreary day?"

"It's getting warm." She spoke. Her voice was quiet and soft. He noticed how wrinkled and disheveled her uniform was. It looked like she hadn't slept well in quite some time. "The Dementors still haven't found Sirius Black. I hope they leave soon."

"I was pretty sick of them when they attacked Harry at the Quidditch game." Fred chuckled as he slung his arm across the back of the bench. His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed her wand on the seat in between them. It was an Alder wood wand - a beautiful mahogany color that almost made him jealous. Alder wands had usually been reserved for more experienced wizards and witches. Part of him wondered how she had gotten her hands on one of them.

Minji looked over at the boy before glancing around the courtyard. "Where's your brother?"

"Why?" A smirk grew on Fred's lips. "Am I not enough?"

Rolling her eyes, Minji playfully punched his arm. "You two are rarely more than ten feet apart."

Shrugging his shoulders, Fred chuckled. "I guess he wanted to stay inside today."

"But you wanted to take a stroll and talk to the Slytherin girl?"

"Precisely."

From inside the porch, a glare began to form in George's eyes. Was his twin actually flirting with the girl he had been pining for since their first year? Now, he was kicking himself for telling his brother how pretty Minji was, or how funny she could be, or how kind her eyes were. He hated that he was hiding like a coward while his brother carelessly flirted with the girl. His hands curled into tight fists. "Speaking of my brother," George perked up upon hearing Fred mention him, "what's with you two anyway?"

Minji stiffened at the question. Her black eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Don't be cheeky." Fred laughed, nudging her shoulder. When he noticed her blank gaze, he rolled his eyes. "He's madly in love with you, y'know."

George nearly dropped to the ground from embarrassment. He wanted to jump over the wall and strangle his twin. "No, he doesn't." Minji chuckled as she shook her head. "I think I'm the last person George Weasley would be in love with."

With a loud groan, Fred rolled his eyes. "You two are hopeless. I mean, genuinely hopeless."

"Thank you for the kind words, Freddie." Minji giggled as she held her legs to her chest tighter. Freddie, he hated the way his brother's name fluttered off her tongue. He wanted to march over there and pull them apart - sit between them and keep them separated. He hated how forward Fred had always been. It was something that constantly got them into trouble that he himself would have to pull them out of. It normally didn't bother him enough to be angry about, but now he wanted to yell.

"You should ask him out." Fred's voice pulled him out of his trance. George glanced out from behind the pillar to see his brother shoot him a thumbs up and a large smile. Warmth spread throughout George's face as he slowly sunk down to the ground. His hands covered his face as embarrassment filled every pore in his body. Upon hearing Minji's laugh, his blush grew deeper. "I'm serious!" Fred exclaimed with a chuckle. "You should go for it. He's putty in your hands."

"It sounds like you're just setting me up to embarrass myself."

"Dearest Minji," Fred chuckled, "would I ever lead you astray?"

"Yes."

"Ye of little faith." 

Before they could speak further, George finally pushed himself out from behind the pillar to approach the two. Minji's face grew dark red as he leaned over the back of the bench. His face was mere inches from hers. His bright smile was something she had begun to rely on in her daily life. "And what are you two crazy kids up to?"

"Your brother is bothering me." Minji smiled, sending a joking glare at the more outgoing twin. "I was hoping you'd show up and haul him off."

"Careful what you wish for, love." Love, she shuddered. The single word sent a tingle up her spine and another rush of heat through her neck and cheeks. She was convinced the boy knew exactly what he was doing to her. And it embarrassed her to no end. George was quick to make his way around the bench and take a seat on Minji's left. His arm slung just past her shoulders, resting on the back of the bench. Their sides pressed together, creating an air of warmth against the chilly breeze.

Fred smiled widely at the two. To him, Minji was the only Slytherin he could stand to be around. After he had heard about her fight with Lynn and Pansy, he almost fell in love with her himself. But he noticed how George looked at her. He had noticed it since their first year. He even remembered asking his twin about it after watching first year George attempt to talk to her, stumbling his way through words.

—

George approached the small girl who sat on the bench just outside Snape's office. Her hands gripped the edge of the bench with the might of Zeus. Her scabbed knuckles had begun to turn white and her hand began to ache. Her thoughts raced through her mind as she glared down at the floor. She flinched back when a boy took a seat next to her. "Can I help you?" She practically spit out.

The ginger boy stared at her with large, puppy dog eyes. Her voice was like a song he had never heard before. Her shoulder length black hair fell into her face, hiding her glare from him. "I... I, uh..." He barely spoke above a whisper as he stared down at the girl. From behind him, his twin watched with a mischievous smile.

"If you and your stupid brother are here to prank me, you'll both be leaving with a bloody nose." She snapped. Her glare shot down the hall at Fred. "I know you heard me down there, Weasley! I'll break your bloody nose, you hear me?"

George was quick to push himself up and scurry back to his brother. She watched with a frown as the twins left her alone in the hall. A soft sigh escaped her lips as her head fell into her hands.

—

Minji smiled brightly up at the boy to her left. She felt like the foolish, lovesick girls in the Muggle books that Megan would read to her. Occasionally, his hand would accidentally brush against her shoulder blade, sending another wave of warmth over her. A soft and quiet sigh escaped her lips as she rested her head against her knees. In a short time, the twins had managed to force their way into her heart and refused to leave - not that she wanted them to. 

Part of her wondered why they insisted on being friends with her. Out of all the people in Hogwarts, they chose her. There was nothing special about her; if anything, they were destined to be enemies. Everyone knew how much the Weasleys hated Slytherins. Hell, almost anyone who wasn't a Slytherin hated Slytherins. She cursed her parents, wishing she'd had a normal childhood filled with love. Maybe she could have been a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor.

A frown grew on her lips as she realized that Slytherin was the only place she belonged. She was too angry and selfish to be in Hufflepuff, too insecure to be in Gryffindor, and too stupid to be in Ravenclaw. She was stuck, for all eternity - or until the end of her academic career at Hogwarts. "Why the long face, Hucks?" Fred spoke with a joking smile. "You're not goin' sour on us, are you?"

Rolling her eyes, she looked up at the younger twin. "George, how does it feel to be the smarter twin?"

George chuckled as Fred scoffed. "Aren't you cheeky." Fred let out a fake laugh, rolling his eyes at the girl. "I'll leave you two lovers to it, then." His playful smirk did not go missed by the two blushing teens. George knew, as he watched his brother shoot him a thumbs up, that he would punch him the minute he could.

"Your brother is an idiot." Minji laughed with a small smile. George simply nodded in response. The area fell to a comfortable silence. Curfew was just beyond the horizon and students were finishing up tasks before heading to their dorms. But there they were, two wannabe lovers alone in the courtyard, staring up at the Dementors that circled the skies. 

The ginger boy wanted to crack a joke, bring the smile back to her face, but his mind was a blank. In that moment, he had forgotten every joke he had ever been told or come up with. The twins normally prided themselves on having a quick wit, but now he was at a loss. His eyes stared down at his hands. They remained in his lap, twitching occasionally with the urge to hold her tan hands. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he looked up at the gray sky.

"Do you think they'll find Sirius Black? I mean, if he's on the grounds..." Minji trailed off as she looked up at the boy. There was only a hint of worry behind her dark eyes. Black had been one of her father's old friends. He had been locked up when she was only three, but her father spoke so highly of him.

Her eyes squinted as a dull pain began to pulse in her skull. A soft groan escaped her lips as she pressed down on her temples. "Do you ever feel like we've been here before?" She asked before he could answer her first question. "I just... I feel like we've had this conversation before in this exact area." Her gaze moved about the courtyard, looking for some source of difference or unfamiliarity, but everything felt... familiar. She knew she had been there before with George, having this exact conversation. "Maybe I'm going crazy."

"You're an absolute loon." George smiled as Minji hit his arm. Even after their laughter died down, their smiles remained. "I'll protect you from Black." Minji giggled, earning a large toothy smile from the boy. "I'm serious! He'll soil his trousers the minute he sees me guarding you. He'll regret ever incurring the wrath of George Fabian Weasley."

"Fabian?" Minji slapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes widened. Her attempts to stifle her laughter were in vain as she began to fall into a fit of giggles. "That isn't your actual middle name, is it?" 

George rolled his eyes. His arm nudged her as a smile couldn't help but grow on his lips. "And what's yours?"

A faint blush grew on her cheeks as her laughter slowly died down. "Magdaline."

"Minji Magdaline Hucks?" George could have sworn love poured out of his eyes as he looked over her. The name felt like silk on his lips. Warmth spread throughout his face as he began imagining how pretty her name sounded with Weasley on the end.

"Doesn't quite roll off the tongue, does it?" Minji chuckled, her shoulders shaking gently. Her eyes looked up at the moon that was unveiled by the clouds. The Dementors could no longer be seen. A faint howl could be heard in the distance. "Sometimes, I wish I could move to the moon."

"I'll give you the moon." George spoke barely above a whisper. Embarrassment filled him at how cheesy he felt. If Fred were there, he'd surely make fun of him to no end. But Fred wasn't there. Right now, it was just him, Minji, and the moon.

A small smile grew on Minji's rosy lips. "You're sweet." George cringed when he realized she had heard his embarrassingly cheesy words. "You're surely too sweet to me. I was a downright git to you when we first met."

"First year," George chuckled at the memory of his stuttering words, "I was terrified of you."

Her smile quickly dropped, now replaced by a frown. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"But I'm not anymore." He quickly spoke in an attempt to reconcile things between them. His lips turned up in a comforting smile, hoping to bring the light back to her. Guilt began to fill him when he noticed her frown making its permanent home on her lips. He could almost see his chances with the girl slipping through his fingers that grains of sand. "Can I ask you something?"

Minji looked up at him. A soft smile grew on her lips as she looked up at him. Pieces of his ginger hair fell in front of his face as he stared down at his hands. Part of her wanted to reach out and hold his hand in hers. How much bigger than her hands were his? Were they warm and soft or cold and calloused? Shutting her eyes, she forced herself to shake away the childish thoughts. "Well? Go on."

"Don't take this the wrong way or anything," dread suddenly filled Minji at the questions that raced through her mind, "but what happened that summer?"

"What summer?" Her eyebrows furrowed, creasing her forehead. 

He began to regret bringing the topic up. His gaze turned down to her curious eyes. "The summer before fourth year," her frown deepened at the mere mention of it. George looked over her features. He wanted to reach out and hold her in his arms. "You just... You completely changed. Why?"

With a soft sigh, she looked down at her intertwined hands. The million dollar question that almost everyone wanted to ask her. It was clear that the question was burning up in people's minds. Some days, she just wanted to get one of those Muggle megaphones and shout the answer at everyone. But George Weasley would suffice. "I was sick of people being afraid of me. I was lonely and tired of my only friend being Draco Malfoy."

George slowly nodded, absorbing this newfound information. Memories of his third year self listening to other Gryffindor students talk about how scary Minji was. Even after she shouted and threatened him their first year, he never found her as scary as others had. Behind her dark eyes was something kind and gentle, even when she was threatening every Hogwarts student. But George would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy her rough side, as well. 

"I'm sorry about first year." Her voice was quiet and soft, almost inaudible - but he had heard her loud and clear. "I shouldn't have said that to you... or Fred. Looking back, I was a downright wretch. I thought that..." She trailed off with a sad frown. The lines on her face had only begun to form in her youthful tanned face. "It's not important."

"It is to me." George responded before he could think it through. A faint pink blush spread throughout his cheeks like wildfire. He almost hit himself from embarrassment. Clearing his throat, he scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, you need to stop downplaying yourself." The girl chuckled humorlessly. "I'm serious, Minj. Just 'cause you don't like talking about these things doesn't mean it's not important."

With a soft smile and a slow nod, Minji smiled up at the ginger boy. "Since when did you get so insightful, Weasley?"

"I've always been insightful, Hucks," he chuckled and shook his head. A cool breeze covered them completely, giving the two an inner peace they hadn't felt in a long time. "I guess I'm just not the one anyone goes to for advice."

"Well, they're not worthy of George Weasley advice."


End file.
